Second federal department delays 4-day office mandate for some public servants

A Government of Canada building is seen in spring of 2026 in this file photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

A second federal department is delaying the four-day in-office mandate for some federal public servants this summer due to a lack of office space, while the Department of National Defence says workspace will “be limited” for employees.

As of May 4, all executives in the core public service are required to work on-site five days per week. The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat directive says as of July 6, all other federal employees will need to be in the office a minimum of four days a week.

• Latest information on federal public service, including notices, job cuts, return to office rules and more

Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada tells CTV News Ottawa that all non-executive and manager public servants will be required to be on-site three days a week effective July 6, including at least on Monday or Friday.

“Following the Treasury Board’s direction to increase on-site presence, we’ve been working on how to implement this at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada,” said a message to employees on Thursday provided to CTV News Ottawa by Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada.

“We know these decisions affect your day-to-day life, whether that’s commuting, caregiving or organizing your work week. Our goal is to move forward in a way that’s practical and predictable and reflects our current space constraints.”

The department says until there is “sufficient office space,” this will be on the on-site mandate:

• Executives: On site five days a week, effective May 4.
• Managers (level 6 in the Instrument of Delegation of Human Resources Management Authorities [PDF]): On site four days a week, effective July 6.
• All other employees (National Capital Region and regions): Temporarily on site three days a week, including at least Monday or Friday, effective July 6.

“This is a temporary measure while we work with our Government of Canada partners to acquire the space needed to fully implement the Treasury Board’s direction,” the memo said.

“We’ll continue to review our space allocation on an ongoing basis, with a view to moving to four days on site when possible. This approach also helps us better distribute on-site presence throughout the week and reflects the role of our people leaders in modelling this approach.”

Department of National Defence

The Department of National Defence says workspace “may be limited” at certain buildings when public servants are required to be in the office four days a week starting this summer.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, DND said it was preparing for an increased onsite presence.

“Implementation will be managed by managers, taking into account workforce needs, available workspace, and the configuration of departmental facilities,” DND said.

“Workspace may be limited in certain areas, including in the National Capital Region. Physical space restrictions will be assessed on a case-by-case basis, and management will be authorized to recommend temporary exceptions in line with relevant policies.”

Global Affairs Canada

Last week, Global Affairs Canada said employees in the national capital region would not be required to report to the office four days a week due to a lack of office space.

In a statement to CTV News Ottawa, Global Affairs Canada said a “multi-year renovation project” at its headquarters and in other buildings in the national capital region “is affecting the availability of office spaces.”

As of May 4, all Global Affairs Canada executives are required to work full-time on-site five days per week. All managers and deputy directors who report to a director or above will be required to work on site four days per week, phased in between July 6 and Sept. 15.

All other Global Affairs employees based in the national capital region, as well as some employees in GAC regional offices in Canada, will be required to be present on-site three days per week.

“As renovation projects advance and additional renovated space becomes available, on-site presence will increase in line with TBS direction, ensuring employees have the space needed to carry out their work effectively,” Global Affairs Canada said in a statement Friday morning.

• Sign up now for daily CTV News Ottawa newsletters
• The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App