Doug Ford will demand the return of Ontario officials to the full -time office next January. For its part, Quebec maintains telework and will continue to impose only two days in face -to -face.
The Ford government announced Thursday that its employees will have to present themselves for four times a week, from October 20.
This is a “gradual transition period”. From January 5, 2026, civil servants will have to be at the office full -time, as was the case before the pandemic.
The Ontario government gives several reasons to motivate this decision.
At a press conference, Prime Minister Doug Ford argued that employees are more productive in the office, according to CBC.
Their presence will also stimulate the local economy, he adds.
In addition, due to the nature of their work, half of the employees are already in the full-time office, it is said.
This decision from Ontario is part of a heavy trend. This summer, several Canadian banks (Scotia, RBC, BMO, TD) announced the face of face to face four days a week.
The federal government went from two to three days last year.
Quebec keeps the course
In Quebec, the approach is quite different. The telework will remain allowed up to three days a week.
“The first assessment reveals that teleworking in hybrid mode has a positive impact on the mobilization of employees and the attractiveness of the Quebec public service,” explains the press secretary of the president of the Treasury Sonia Lebel.
“No notable negative impact has been noted on productivity, on the contrary, there is a positive effect,” she adds.
Quebec therefore maintains its policy “until further notice”.
Besides, a step back would be difficult. The Legault government has already started a reduction in its housing stock which will affect up to 40% of its premises.
Some, like those in the Place d’Youville in Quebec, will be converted into housing.
Happy civil servants
Quebec’s approach also delights its officials, happy to remain in teleworking more than half of the time.
Government professionals even argue for more flexibility. “There are tasks that require being at the office 4 or 5 days a week and other tasks that could ask to go for a ride twice a month,” said the president of the SPGQ, Guillaume Bouvrette.
The government itself has prompted its employees to settle in the regions, he recalls.
But they must go to a satellite office every week even if there is none of their colleagues who are there.
In these cases, there is “very little added value”, underlines Mr. Bouvrette.
For its part, the Syndicat of the Public Service and Parapublique du Québec (SFPQ) argues that telework reduces traffic in urban areas. A point of view shared by Guillaume Bouvrette.
He fears “an exodus” if Quebec put an end to telework. “People have adapted their daily lives to this new reality and, sometimes, have moved away from the city centers,” he said.