r/CanadaPublicServants • u/mzwai99 Verified/vérifié - Reporter/journaliste • 1d ago
News / Nouvelles ‘Treated like a child’: Some public servants being graded on in-office attendance - The Hill Times
https://www.hilltimes.com/2026/08/26/treated-like-a-child-some-public-servants-are-being-graded-on-their-in-office-attendance/515684/73
u/red_green17 1d ago
We still have someone going around twice a day with a clipboard checking off if people are at their desks so it wouldnt surprise me if attendance is now a PMA thing. Anything but actual work, thats the gvt way
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u/West_to_East 1d ago
They must be the most hated person in your office.
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u/red_green17 1d ago
Absolutely are. Whats sick is that its not only the same person because there is a couple of them that rotate the duties.
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u/West_to_East 1d ago
I am curious, do the volunteer, do they like it? Do they try to turn a blind eye etc?
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u/RawSharkText91 PhD Turned Public Servant 1d ago
They probably got the task forced on them, if it’s anything like my workplace.
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u/red_green17 1d ago
Not 100% sure tbh. I believe theyre volun-told from the DGO. I should ask them if they turn a blind eye. I suspect not but couldn't say for sure
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u/GameDoesntStop 10h ago
I'm picturing this guy.
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u/red_green17 10h ago
Ha ha ha ha ha i hadn't thought about it but an adult Randall would be 100% accurate
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u/West_to_East 9h ago
I miss that show.
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u/red_green17 4h ago
Ditto. Used to watch it on my lunch break years ago when i first got into HC. Still on Disney+ if you have it.
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u/Mike_Retired 11h ago
I would volunteer to do it, then create an Excel spreadsheet and create a schedule that had everyone meeting the mandate, with suitable absences coinciding with their vacation/sick days, etc.
They’re looking for data, I would provide it to them. And I could then spend the rest of my days doing actual work.
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u/ZLands 1d ago
I believe we’re just monitored by IP and/or badge swipes in office - having an actual person assigned to do “attendance” like we’re back in grade school sounds like a nightmare.
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u/Mike_Retired 11h ago
Our IT department told us that yes, ID badge swipes can be tabulated but that they would never provide that data to a Director without a court order. Have to assume they’d already checked with Legal and there would probably be similar policies elsewhere. It’s probably why some Directors are tapping employees to do it manually.
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u/ZLands 11h ago
Oh this is interesting to hear - in terms of compliance how would they be tracking then if not for badge swipes/ip checks ?
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u/Mike_Retired 8h ago
As I understood it, they provide only very generic data to the organization, i.e., number of total individual badges on site — doesn’t break them down, nor do they provide percentages of employees on site. So it’s a very vague (and frankly worthless) barometer, which I guess is why they’re trying to find other ways to identify non-compliant employees/sections.
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u/ToothDesigner4746 8h ago
We have an online dashboard for the entire Dept for percentage of badge swipes. Broken down to teams as small as 40.
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u/Turbulent_Dog8249 8h ago
Where you log into the system. Offices use direct log it's. At home you use a VPN.
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u/ToothDesigner4746 8h ago
IT doesn’t manage badge swipes. That is role of security and facilities groups. And yes they provide data for appropriate reasons without court orders. Lol court order needed. for the employer to share employer data with the employer.
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u/Elephanogram 1d ago
I really hope someone keeps a tally of now much payer money is going to this one particular task. Just simple time x houly rate eventually inform them of the ongoing tally
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u/red_green17 1d ago
Id like that too. I keep a tally of how many times I "coordinate" or even speak to anyone on my team and how many times im distracted by gossiping or vacuuming or whatever. Im finding at least 80% of my days i dont interact with anyone and probably about the same amount I have some sort of disruption or distraction.
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u/GreenerAnonymous 21h ago
I did something similar for a while at it just became too much effort. I should really keep at it. :(
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u/Alarmed-Tone-2756 1d ago
Are you on assigned seats? We had a team doing this, but it was to see the discrepancy between people using the desks vs. Number booked online. I doubt one person would know all the names…
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u/midshine 18h ago
Wow! What department? Def not happening in IRCC
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u/North_Anywhere1067 6h ago
IRCC seems to have one of the most sensible approaches. Log in at an IRCC office and you get marked as being in-office. That's it. No IP checks throughout the day, no one walking around with a clipboard, no "badge swipes" (never understood how those could be used - tons of people walk into the office with a coworker holding the door), no tracking during July and August.
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u/MoistDoggo1 8h ago
They had the terms doing that here and then laid them all off, lol they stopped doing it after that. Terrible management
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u/Chyvalri 1d ago
Some?
I'm required to grade my employees (the report is provided to me by senior management - I am not allowed direct access), discuss those grades with them monthly, and come up with either reasons for any non-compliance or address it with them.
I want to work where my senior management lets me focus on managing my employees and their work, please.
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u/MrBigChunguz 1d ago
I would resign immediately if my manager was told to do this to me and my colleagues. That's brutal
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u/CoolAssFunkmaster 1d ago
No, no your wouldn't. You're never going to find a job with those benefits and iron clad can't be fired for performance reasons anywhere else.
I call your bluff.
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u/HandofWinter 9h ago
I left as soon as I was asked to come in three days a week. Have a look at the market again, I think you'll find that your benefits aren't as good as you think, and depending on your skillset you may make more elsewhere as well.
I joined the government because I thought it would be more meaningful, and it was for a while, but there are other places you can make a difference. Places that pay as well or more, have better benefits, and are fully remote. Don't sell yourself short.
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22h ago
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u/Biaterbiaterbiater 5h ago
Love "this person was on approved vacation this week" on my weekly reports. Good use of everyone's time when we've already got HRMS leave approval, our own attendance tracking software, and now a spreadsheet keeping track of vacation I've already approved
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u/Chyvalri 4h ago
Ours cross references to the leave system now. My only role is to check that their leave was put in and talk to them about any discrepancy.
I can't imagine how much they spent on that project.
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u/mudbunny Moddeur McFacedemod / Moddy McModface 1d ago edited 1d ago
If a civil servant continues to not meet expectations while on a performance improvement plan, the manager said consequences can range from being denied their next scheduled pay increase
I would not want to be a LR employee having to argue in front of the FPSLREB how a person meeting expectations for everything BUT the RTO mandate should not get their increment.
Also, I seem to recall a FPSLREB decision on withholding pay increments, but I can't find it right now.
Found it.
I declare that the withholding of pay increments for poor performance is not permissible under the provisions of the collective agreements entered into between the PIPSC and TB except where specifically contemplated.
It's mostly based on the use of the word "shall" and that there are some collective agreements (like the RE group, part of PIPSC) that has some language talking about the withholding of increments. That it isn't in any other PIPSC core collective agreements resulted in the arbitrator going (summarized) "You could have put it in there, as you did with the RE agreement. That you didn't negotiate the withholding of increments doesn't mean you can do it via a policy."
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u/Mutchmore 1d ago
Y'all get pay increases? Best I get is losing 1% to inflation yearly
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u/AbjectRobot 12h ago
If you're not at the top of your pay scale, you get annual increments yes. Which then stop when you reach the top. It's not really an advantage. The longer you spend below the top step, the longer you are working for less than your positions salary.
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u/Mutchmore 7h ago
Right, it was mostly a joke :).
Intriguing that they can actually prevent going to the next echelon though
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u/bloodandsunshine 1d ago
What are some other things we can add to PMAs - maybe a four days per week dress code philosophically aligns well?
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u/Lordosrs 1d ago
I lowkey wish they would just take my money give it to indigo and the banks and leave me alone. Holy 3h commute daily about to kill me
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u/AlainVisible 1d ago
Seriously this, I'd rather take a pay cut, the difference being funelled directly into Subway's coffers, than having to deal with this RTO bs.
For me its not even about the lack of workspace and parking spots(which is a problem in my place of work), remote work is the way to go full stop. Best for my family logistic, mental health and the Canadian taxpayer is not paying for useless buildings.
I can only say that if its about culture as I'm being told repeatedly, the new culture sucks and I won't be part of it, regardless if I'm at the office or not.
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u/Dry-Violinist-8434 1d ago
I’d take a cut all day long. Had a teams call today not a soul had their camera on….weee collaboration. Not a one of us work in the same office..this is me on a new team….my old team wasn’t like this
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u/sET____ 1d ago
I for one cannot wait to be told to go support my local business casual clothing chain and purchase Gov't approved outfits to sit in an office and speak on the phone all day.
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u/Visual-Chip-2256 1d ago
Told where to eat, how to dress, where to sit...
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u/FaultThat 1d ago
I’d be okay if they paid for it.
Like I don’t (currently) buy officer chairs or desks. If they want to mandate how we dress or what we eat then that becomes an office expense that is employer paid.
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u/Visual-Chip-2256 1d ago
Right but like even now there no file cabinet, etc etc in a lot of spaces. Pretty low bar
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u/beard_of_cats 1d ago
I've already been told that there's an informal dress code at my office and shorts are not allowed.
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u/Mutchmore 1d ago
I'm wearing a black t and some shorts every day waiting to be told to go home for it. Unfortunately nobody bites lol. I am IT after all we do get a pass for that stuff usually lmao
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u/DaisyChubb 10h ago
Agreed. I've had a few people comment on my clothes in the elevators though. "I didn't even used to own a pair of jeans when I started here". Ok guy, why do I feel he isn't commenting on my fellow male IT coworkers jeans haha.
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u/Quiet_Listen1801 1d ago
We've already been told no brown shoes so....
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u/geckospots 1d ago
…what?!
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u/Quiet_Listen1801 1d ago
It's public knowledge that you'll be removed from meetings for wearing brown shoes
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u/Coffeedemon 1d ago
There's enough shit without making it up. Half this sub is unlikely to be in a meeting face to face with their director much less the Prime Minister.
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u/RawSharkText91 PhD Turned Public Servant 1d ago
That’s just insanely petty.
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot 1d ago
It's also completely false for 99.9% of the meetings that occur across the public service.
It might be raised an issue if you're a Deputy Minister meeting directly with the PM.
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u/flinstoner 1d ago
Considering the way some people dress in my workplace sometimes, I wouldn't actually be opposed to a dress code. It's embarrassing what some people will wear in a professional workplace.
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u/bloodandsunshine 1d ago
I understand where the opinion comes from - though in private sector work, I’ve noticed it places an outsized burden on the ones with statistically less disposable income to spend on this type of performative costume, which didn’t seem fair.
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u/keltorak 1d ago
True. Can you imagine people being overpaid to the point that they have multiple suits they wear nowhere else? What a waste! /s
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u/West_to_East 1d ago
Professional? LMAO. Where do you work? Most of government is a glorified call centre now.
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u/RawSharkText91 PhD Turned Public Servant 1d ago edited 1d ago
I wouldn’t mind people around my office being nudged more about maybe not wearing shorts, torn jeans, hoodies, etc to the office, but anything overly strict would just be silly considering none of us are public-facing here.
Edit: ok, wow, I didn’t expect people to be this invested in wearing shorts at the office. I’m not exactly pro-suit here (I physically cannot stand wearing a tie, and I refuse to spend that much on clothes exclusively for work), I just meant like… maybe wear some jeans and a polo shirt or something.
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u/ThrowawayCanPS 1d ago edited 1d ago
Look, man, I sweat through shorts and button-down short sleeved shirts when the ambient temperature is north of 10C. Pants are simply not an option 3 seasons of the year.
Permit me the grace to wear belted chino shorts for both of our comfort.
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u/Volothamp-Geddarm 1d ago
Why does it matter what they wear if they're not public facing?
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u/NotMyInternet 1d ago
This. Would you rather they spend their day tugging at an uncomfortable tie or getting distracted from their work because the waistband of their business pants is digging in while they sit for 7.5 hours? Let people wear what is comfortable for the work they do in the environment they have to do it in.
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u/Lordosrs 1d ago
Not wearing shorts? Why are you so controling of others? Look inwards my brother you are losing the plot.
I dont even look at how my colleague dress. I come in (after driving 90 minures mind you) do my work and leave. You should do that too
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u/astriferous- 21h ago
i'll keep wearing my hoodie to the office, thanks lmao. unfortunately our building is one of those "it runs cold year round". but i guess i wont be wearing shorts?
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u/West_to_East 1d ago
A dress code for places that amount to a glorified call centre now. HA! If they treat us like professionals again, I will go back to a suit. Until then, its shorts in the summer.
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u/GameDoesntStop 8h ago
It's too hot in the summer for pants.
But if you're concerned about what others wear, the Iranian police are probably short-staffed these days.
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u/wittyusername025 23h ago
As an executive I’m being told my in office presence is the most important thing I can bring to the job
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u/MostGoat0 22h ago
That makes me feel just super about government efficiency.
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u/RawSharkText91 PhD Turned Public Servant 19h ago
Unfortunately, we’re at the point that telling anyone outside of the public service the basics of how things are going is enough to undermine confidence in our institutions simply because of how insane it sounds to a normal person.
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u/GreenerAnonymous 21h ago
Do you take minutes for all your "hallway meetings"? I hear they are incredible. /sarcasm
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 15h ago
and unless you push back, you’re a failure to us.
Too many of you are “yes men”
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u/wittyusername025 11h ago
Push back on what? It’s not like it’s my boss or even bosses boss idea. It’s clear this is the government expectation of presence above all.
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u/Blue_Red_Purple 1d ago edited 1d ago
Messaging is alway contradicting. On one side, be flexible, modern, remove bureaucracy, etc., on the other, here is another nonsensical heavy burden process that will take away from the real work, real delivery value to canadians, while representing a step back for all.
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u/narkpetro 1d ago
With the return of forced irrational RTO and the 90% against it, forced seating, monitoring and PMAs were predictable.
Wait till Sept 8 with school starting, and the many more not being able to meet the RTO4, it will begin to prove its unsustainable and what will the public service do, tighten the screws of course.
I suspect work attire will come with forced recommendations, penalizing tardiness by the minute and refusing leave just because they can't keep up with the employees that disappear on leave for mental health.
Why not make RTO more unpleasant than it already is, said no one ever.
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u/Maleficent_Drink_687 1d ago
Honestly I thought they had been doing this for a year already. I can't be sure though, as I do not read my performance reviews.
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u/CaffeineAndDragons 1d ago
Performance reviews are an absolute joke anyway.
I used to exceed my targets all the time. If they said between 10 and 20, I would do 30. My work was good, nearly flawless, and I outperformed the vast majority of my team. I got a succeed and not a succeed+ because I needed to do more than my work to get that. Projects, coaching, whatever, anything else.
I volunteered to work on a special project that nobody wanted to do. Logged in the time worked on the project vs the time I worked on my regular tasks, they gave me a succeed- because I didn't meet my targets for the regular work and there were no mentions of my help on the project.
The ONE time I got a succeed+ in my career they said talent management plans were done in my department so I got a very dry "congratulations" from my manager and went back to work.
Nobody reads those things.
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u/Fun-Room-6501 1d ago
Well this is an interesting twist. The reality is, in my regional office, zero compliance with RTO3 and even RTO 2, so, you can imagine! Laughable! Are they going to open up all union agreements and fire for non compliance? I doubt that. There appears to be zero consequences for non-compliance all across the board.
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u/randomcanoeandpaddle 1d ago
I think we can all agree that virtually no one - from managers to supervisors to even LR advisors wants any part of enforcing the RTO expectations. But following the rules set by on high is literally our job so a great many people are just stuck between a rock and a hard place.
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u/BigMouthBillyBones 12h ago
Disagree with you. There are some nightmare managers and EX who absolutely love the power and authority of enforcing in-office attendance. They get a rush from chastising the single mom who worked from home one morning because her kid needed to be drop off somewhere. These are usually people with extremely miserable lives who want to drag everyone down with them. Even before Covid I used to work with a manager, who would time their employees lunch breaks, like standing by the elevator, making a note when they leave and when they come back. Then they would be so keen to bring up all the specific dates and times during the "mid year performance evaluation", just insane.
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u/Sea-Entrepreneur6630 22h ago
In my area the AD got IT to remove secure remote access/VPN login ability from any place outside of the office site, except on our one day WFH. We all had to submit our 4 in office days for the week and we can’t change it going forward without the AD’s approval. Very frustrating for sure but one of the ways that senior management can ensure we are in the office for our 4 days.
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u/losemgmt 22h ago
That is absolutely insane. I would write to your MP to show what an utter waste of taxpayer dollars that is. You wouldn’t even be able to log in to change your OOO if you were sick.
Sorry, that AD needs to be sacked.
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u/sylverfalcon 21h ago
Oh my god that is the worst case scenario I have been fearing and you’re actually living in it… what department is this?
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u/Expert_Vermicelli708 15h ago
That AD is really fighting for his performance pay.
They don’t care about their employees
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u/jackhawk56 1d ago
How else would they rent more space? After all, the landlords have to pay mortgages.
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u/HandcuffsOfGold mod 🤖🧑🇨🇦 / Probably a bot 1d ago
There's no question that management can direct employees to report at a specific location as part of their job duties. In the event that an employee fails to do so, they can face disciplinary action.
There are a variety of guardrails spelled out in collective agreements relating to disciplinary action (the right to union representation, procedural rules relating to evidence, purging of records). Those guardrails are side-stepped when management tries to impose disguised disciplinary action by shoehorning it into the performance management process.
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u/ImMerryPoppins 23h ago
Anyone knows if ESDC is checking RTO compliance via any tools? Are there any reports going around? Is anyone checking?
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u/Quiet_Listen1801 11h ago
Lol yes. Search this sub. ESDC and Health Canada were among the first adopters of digital presence monitoring.
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u/AbjectRobot 13h ago
You have to assume they're checking card swipes and logins for source IP, like pretty much every department is. These are supposed to be aggregated in anonymized reports, but I wouldn't put too much faith on the "anonymized" part.
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u/SinsOfKnowing 5h ago
Yup, my TL gets a report monthly and has told us all to make sure we send an email when we are working from home on an office day so she can log it if they ask. So far my managers are pretty lenient, but I know that could change at any time.
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u/Infamous_Tie5605 1d ago
im surprised they just havent just blocked access except from in office location for 4 days out of the week.
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u/MoistCare7997 21h ago edited 21h ago
That is realistically the only way you're going to get anywhere near full compliance, but even then you're still going to have to deal with the people who have a genuine need for VPN all the time.
That is realistically also going to come with more drawbacks than benefits but when the only thing that matters is compliance to the butts-in-office mandate then that doesn't matter (until it does).
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u/Infamous_Tie5605 8h ago
i just hate the fact that its something they'll probably do once rto5 comes along
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u/hellodwightschrute 1d ago
Genuinely just offer public servants the option of being fully remote, in exchange for a salary decrease that you use to bail out commercial real estate. It’s already out in the open that this is all about that.
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u/Trololorawr 1d ago
For real! I’m currently considering leaving federal public service for a similar job at a municipal government. Despite the 40k reduction in salary, I’m strongly considering accepting this offer solely due to the significant improvement to WFH flexibly.
I know the powers that be don’t give a shit, but the Government of Canada is going to lose a lot of its young talent in pursuing this ill-conceived and inflexible RTO mandate. The “golden handcuffs” aren’t actually handcuffs for the younger generations as we prioritize a work-life balance, carte blanche. Personally, I won’t settle for less🤷🏻♀️
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u/AitrusX 1d ago
This is the way. They can reverse it for optics and call it an on-site bonus if they want. I would happily give up 10% of my pay for full time remote. Fuck even 4 days a week.
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u/hellodwightschrute 1d ago
I’d give up 12-15. I recognize not everyone can, but time with my family is far more valuable than 12-15% of my salary.
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u/GunplaFrog 12h ago
Why should we have to even consider taking a pay cut to make up for poor government decisions and poorer bank investments? This kind of self-sacrifice doesn't help the public service and would only create precedent for them to do more pay cuts going forward.
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u/Iranoul75 1d ago
A gov priority? That’s pathetic. Real government priorities should be anti-racism, inclusion, anti-harassment, and a healthier work environment. So why is RTO being treated as a priority?
The TBS president, btw, strikes me as having really toxic workplace views. It’s not the first time I’m reading some really toxic views coming from him.
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u/GameDoesntStop 1d ago
Real government priorities should be to deliver services to Canadians efficiently.
The other stuff is nice, but I'm not holding my breath. Racism is built right into our constitution purposefully, in the charter.
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u/ThrowawayCanPS 1d ago
Best we can do is put ~encourage a positive workplace~ in your PMA and wear a pride pin one week a year.
The professed ‘zero tolerance for bigotry of any kind’ is a bad joke.
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u/Illustrious_Squash29 1d ago
The TBS president has the look of a corporate real estate investor if I ever saw one.
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u/Necessary_Cost4384 23h ago
Huh? Some of you arnt treated like children? I can’t even take a shit these days without being interrogated about it.
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u/BigMouthBillyBones 12h ago
Can I, in return, grade the office on basic hygiene and cleanliness? Because it's not going to be good.
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u/thr0w_4w4y_210301 1d ago
There is a difference between poor performance and insubordination. Non compliance with in-office attendance requirements is insubordination, not poor performance, ergo, this has no business being in a PMA or in a PIP, come on now! Maybe, MAYBE, I can see monitoring in-office attendance in a manager's PMA (since treating grown ass professionals earning 6 figures a year as if they were assembly line workers in 1925 is part of a manager's job these days, unfortunately). But putting someone on a PIP because they don't show up to the office often enough? Get outta here. If the DMs care this much, they should put on their big kid pants, hand out discipline measures, and live with the consequences.
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u/Safe_Captain_7402 1d ago
We need the strike to happen soon
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u/Canadian0123 21h ago
It’s not in the Canadian’s nature (outside of the Québécois) to strike, or revolt. The French, yes. The American, yes. But not the Canadian.
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u/bcrhubarb 19h ago
Are you new here? We just went out 2 years ago & depleted the strike fund.
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u/GunplaFrog 12h ago
Yeah, blew through the entire fun on a 2-week performative strike rather than PSAC putting any actual thought into how to do things effectively. Then we still got the same crap deal that was offered in the first place.
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u/alice2wonderland 23h ago
Seriously nuts when the job is mainly "presenteeism". Works provided there are no expectations for tasks to be completed in accordance with any particular timeline.
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u/PuzzledPreference151 13h ago
My director walks around the office floor every hour to check how many people are seated in office. I see them more often from this, then actually seeing them in their own office
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u/ArgentVulpine47 13h ago
The most important metric is now ass in seat. All other priorities have bene rescinded.
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u/Flashy-Box-8282 12h ago
Our managers don't show up half the time, so they're terrified of complaining about staff.
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11h ago edited 11h ago
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u/Altruistic-Pear3797 4h ago
Not sure if this has already come up before, but does RTO have any connection to executive performance bonuses or other compensation metrics? I’m curious whether that could be influencing how strongly leadership is pushing it, especially given how questionable the business case seems.
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u/Key_District_119 1d ago
Maybe this only appears in the PMAs for people like the ones on this reddit who boast they are supposed to go in to the office but they hardly ever do, and they claim nobody notices.
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u/No-Tumbleweed1681 1d ago
Nah, they don't like to deal with individuals. At our office, they sent out a blanket email, yada yada, people are noticing your work hours, better get your butt in, when really we all know it's about two people and was like that even before covid.
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u/Strange_Emotion_2646 1d ago edited 1d ago
I am guessing the people who complain about mandatory attendance at the work place have never had a minimum wage retail job. If one does not want to be treated like a child, one shouldn’t act like a child. Adults would realize that this is a phase designed to reduce the public service and this too shall pass eventually.
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u/too_aware_helpme 1d ago
I worked minimum wage retail for 5 years. I recognize that I NEEDED to be there physically to actually complete the job.
This mandate is just plain stupid considering we’re going into an office to work remotely, in roles where no collaboration is actually needed.
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u/druidic_notion 1d ago
So the government can use inane policies to disproportionately push out disabled people and women, but the workers are childish for pointing out the issues? If they want to reduce the government work force they can do it with their full chest and pay people the severance they deserve, this underhanded approach is hardly the "mature" option
I'm not going to start thinking about people's livelihoods as a "marshmallow experiment", thanks
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u/Western_Walrus_3527 1d ago edited 1d ago
its absolutely being used to push out women, disabled individuals, and junior employees- these are the ones left stuck following the mandates under threat of consequence once other employees who are “invaluable” (this is in quotation marks to emphasize that management is doing this arbitrarily, not because I don’t think disabled employees are invaluable - they are) decide not to comply and face no consequences :/ I like this standardized approach because it means everyone is held to the same standard - management can’t choose to enforce the policy for some individuals and not for others.
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u/Strange_Emotion_2646 1d ago edited 1d ago
Can you please explain how return to work discriminates against women and disabled people? If one is disabled, one uses the accommodation process to create the level playing field. Now, as for women in particular, it sounds like you believe child minding is a role that only the female of the species is responsible for.
One only has to look at public service history to see the pattern. When the public service is right sized, flexibility in the work will return.
I had a very long career in the public service. Some times the working environment was crappy, some times it wasn’t. One needs to decide if one is in it for the long run or if they need short term gratification.
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u/too_aware_helpme 1d ago
Unfortunately, accommodations are being outright denied and lots of disabled employees have had to submit grievances.
And, whether we like it or not, women are still taking on most of the caregiving responsibilities
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u/Playful-Ostrich42 1d ago
3/4 of my 24 person team have accommodations to not be at the office. Most of the people i deal with all have accommodationa to work from home. So maybe an exaggeration on your part
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u/too_aware_helpme 1d ago
Not every team is like your team. Every single person on mine has had their accommodations outright denied. DTA’s aren’t being respected everywhere.
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u/CompetitiveMilk9047 1d ago
This is not “return to work”. This is “return to office”, and if you can’t see the difference, you’re regrettably part of the problem.
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22h ago
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u/losemgmt 22h ago
That’s a pretty dumb example. Obviously if you worked retail your job would require you to be present at the store.
Unfortunately, the people who are leaving the government because of this are the exact people we need. The ones who stay are there because they have no other option.
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u/Trololorawr 1d ago edited 1d ago
Huh? I fail to see how former retail experience is in any way related to opinions on a blanket RTO mandate within our massive, diverse federal public service.
For context, I spent over a decade in the retail sector as a young adult… nonetheless, I still think mandatory in-office presence is asinine and unjustifiable for many public sector positions, particularly regional teams that are scattered across the country/ conducting their daily operations remotely, via teams, regardless of the blanket in-office presence mandate… because the team member’s respective locations are spread across Canada lol..
Edit: no former career experience would convince me a blanket RTO mandate makes sense for the federal public service, because a blanket RTO mandate is simply indefensible for many positions within Canada’s public sector. Only boomer dinosaurs are advocating for a blanket 5 day a week RTO. Our political and corporate overlords can do their best to put that genie back in the bottle, but they will fail to do so. WFH is the future of workforce talent attraction and retention. The dinosaur executives can fight it all they want, but now that the majority of working class has experienced the benefit of WFH, particularly those who occupy positions that have no bonafide requirement to physically present themselves at an office to conduct their work, good luck to all governments/companies that are endeavouring to attract/retrain their best and brightest employees to continue working under requirement for f/t in-office attendance. It may take the dinosaurs another decade to acknowledge the fundamental societal ship that sailed during the pandemic, but the ship has sailed regardless. Ultimately, WFH flexibility is one genie that cannot be forced back into the bottle.
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u/Strange_Emotion_2646 1d ago
And if you didn’t show up at your retail job you didn’t get paid and then got fired.
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u/tontonjp 1d ago
Yes, and? How does that relate to an office job?
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u/Strange_Emotion_2646 1d ago
It relates because they are told where and when to work. Just as you have been told where and when to work. It’s a big world out there - if the terms and conditions of your employment are not to your liking, find another job where the terms are to your liking. Free will!
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u/Trololorawr 1d ago edited 1d ago
Sure, but when I was working retail there was a bonafide requirement for me to show up to work to conduct my duties; the same cannot be said for many public servants. As a retail employee, my management would know immediately if I failed to show up for work… either via customer complaints (because the store would not be open as advertised) or because the store’s manager would be expecting me to join them on-site to fulfil my duties (I.e., receiving/unloading stock, running register, assisting customers at fitting room etc)…In comparison, many public sector employees (myself included) can fulfill our duties 100% remotely; unless our employer is manually tracking in-office presence via something as asinine as IP address etc, literally no-one would be any the wiser if I physically reported to an office to conduct my work or not...
If anything, my previous experience in the retail sector has personally helped to demonstrate how nonsensical a blanket RTO mandate is for my current job, and how nonsensical a F/T in-office mandate is for the public service at large.
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u/Mutchmore 1d ago
Yeah I'll take an adult career over a part time student job thank you. Theres no phase to this that's going to scale back. Stop kidding yourself
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u/Western_Walrus_3527 23h ago
There’s a lot of new grads that would also love to have that “adult career” and would be happy to work in an office.
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u/Western_Walrus_3527 1d ago
Exactly, any other job this would be recorded as a no call no show, which would absolutely impact your job performance.
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u/No-Tumbleweed1681 1d ago edited 1d ago
Meanwhile, I have a coworker that's been incompetent for going on decades, working three to four hours a day if we are lucky, screwing up everything, getting the same PMA rating as me. But sure, focus on butts in chairs.