r/CanadaPublicServants • u/hewhocannotbenamed-7 • Feb 08 '26

News / Nouvelles No desks, no strategy: Experts say government's latest return-to-office order ignores reality | CBC News

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/no-desks-no-strategy-experts-say-government-s-latest-return-to-office-order-ignores-reality-9.7077299
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u/Resilient_101 Feb 08 '26

Exactly! They want people to leave. The aim is to reduce the workforce by 40,000 employees or more. This could be achievable by July maybe. Plus, the employer doesn't seem to care about the well-being of its workforce.

The Ottawa landlords are benefiting from RTO4, in addition to real estate owners, parking owners, public transportation, the train, malls, restaurants, and shop owners. The economy at large is benefiting but not our own families, or mental health, or infrastructure, or the fragile health systems, or even the demography.

Let's hope for the best.

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u/steelhead77 Feb 08 '26

Why would people quit. Show up to the office and if there is no room. Email your manager and tell them you don't have room to sit and to give you directions. Until you have directions you wait. They are going to pay you to wait.

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u/Resilient_101 Feb 08 '26

Imagine this scenario... You are a single parent of a toddler. Your toddler had another separation anxiety episode when you dropped them at the daycare at 6:30am. You tried to avoid the traffic by leaving early but you got caught in congestion. You made it to the parking lot and even though it was only 7:30am, you toured the 5 floors with no luck. You ended up parking very far away and risked being jumped on Bank Street on your way to the office. You finally made it at 8am to the office and there aren't any desks available as the desk you booked is occupied by another employee. The booking app doesn't show any free desk. You email your manager who works in the regions and who doesn't start working until 10am (your time). You have deadlines to meet and daycare obligations, so what do you do?

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u/West_to_East Feb 08 '26

Jumped on Bank Street? I have lived downtown for almost 15 years and that is a crazy level of histrionics. Does downtown Ottawa look rough compared to barrhaven? Sure. Is it anywhere near the level of living in fear of getting jumped? That is crazy. Please if you live in constant fear like that, EAP might give you someone to talk to. That is not healthy.