Treasury Board President Shafqat Ali has defended the federal government's decision to require most public servants to work in the office four days a week, stating he 'always feels productive' while working in the office. In an interview with the Ottawa Citizen, Ali confirmed that the controversial policy was made without any study or specific metrics, instead citing more stringent return-to-office policies in the private sector and among municipal and provincial governments as justification. The policy, which increased the required in-office work days from three to four for most employees, came into effect in July for regular employees and May for executives. Ali stated that the previous hybrid arrangement was due to the pandemic, and now 'that was over,' emphasizing the importance of 'networking,' 'working together,' and 'building team collaboration' as key reasons for the policy change. The government has faced criticism from unions who have filed grievances at the federal labour board over the gradual changes to work policies. Ali's comments follow reports that 13 federal organizations plan to spend over $18 million implementing the new policy, with the Treasury Board acknowledging they made changes 'with no specific metrics, assessments, or studies.' The government currently only has enough office space to accommodate 90% of government workers, and some departments have had to delay implementation due to space constraints. The Treasury Board has not added any new office space since announcing the policy, though they are considering increasing their portfolio in the coming months. Ali also noted that having the public service return to the office has been important during 'this time of global instability.' The policy changes were part of a gradual shift from pandemic-era remote work arrangements, which began with full remote work in early 2020, followed by a hybrid model in 2022, and then a three-day in-office requirement in 2024 before the current four-day mandate. The government's approach has been described as a 'philosophical choice' by Bill Matthews, the top public servant at the Treasury Board, who has defended the policy as necessary for fostering collaboration and productivity in the workplace.

In today's hyper-connected world, overwork has become a norm, often taking a toll on our mental health and overall well-being.

In today's hyper-connected world, overwork has become a norm, often taking a toll on our mental health and overall well-being.