Canada’s largest small-business group is urging the B.C. government to reject a union request to allow full-time remote work for public servants, warning it could further hurt struggling downtown businesses. The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) says expanding work-from-home policies would “deal another blow” to businesses in downtown Victoria that rely on foot traffic from government employees. The B.C. General Employees’ Union has asked the province to temporarily allow full-time remote work to offset the high cost of commuting as gas prices in southwestern B.C. linger above $2 per litre. The union, which represents about 35,000 public service workers, says the measure would ease financial pressure on workers who travel long distances, while also reducing emissions and traffic congestion. Ryan Mitton, the CFIB’s director of legislative affairs, called the request “unreasonable,” accusing the union Tuesday of “using fuel prices as an excuse for widespread remote work.” “The public service is the dominant employer in downtown Victoria and local small businesses depend on foot traffic from government offices,” Mitton said in a statement. “Pulling thousands of public servants out of their communities full time would deal another blow to businesses already squeezed by U.S. tariffs and mounting provincial taxes.” A 2025 survey found that 48 per cent of downtown Victoria business owners would consider leaving the city’s core if their lease expired within a year. Respondents cited street disorder and crime as their key concerns. The report also found downtown retail vacancy had jumped from three per cent in 2019 to 11 per cent in 2025, while office vacancy had increased from 4.7 per cent to 10.7 per cent in the same period. The CFIB, which boasts a membership of more than 100,000 small- and medium-business operators across Canada, says B.C. government employees already have some of the most flexible remote work agreements in the country. The provincial government says about 70 per cent of public service employees currently have remote work agreements, with individual ministries responsible for setting their own policies. RELATED STORIES: With files from The Canadian Press
