Return to face-to-face | The federal government lacks office space for its civil servants
(Ottawa) In less than three months, the federal government’s directive requiring most public servants to go to the office four days a week – compared to the current three – will come into effect.
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There is only one problem: the offices don’t have the space to accommodate everyone.
Michèle LaRose, spokesperson for the Department of Public Services and Procurement Canada, said that the department’s analysis shows that certain services will need more workstations or more space in certain premises to adapt to the increase in presence.
Mme LaRose said she could not specify which buildings were short on workstations or how much additional space was needed.
“We are currently working with ministries to define their specific operational needs,” she said. As this collaborative process is still ongoing, we are unable to provide exact figures regarding the four-day-per-week on-site presence requirement over the coming months. »
Mme LaRose said the department is working with other departments and agencies to find solutions by identifying underutilized spaces, renewing existing leases and, potentially, acquiring additional space.
“Public Services and Procurement Canada is using its operating budget to invest in maintenance, ensuring buildings remain safe and suitable for employees as on-site work requirements increase,” she said.
Essential federal employees have been working three days in the office since September 2024. Before, the standard was two days. In March 2020, most civil servants were ordered to work remotely when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
The new directive only officially applies to public servants working in core departments and agencies reporting to the Treasury Board, although some arm’s length agencies – such as the Canada Revenue Agency and the National Research Council – have indicated their intention to follow the same approach.
Under this directive, civil service executives will have to be present in the office full-time from May 4.
The government says it does not foresee any problems finding space for executives, which is not the case for most employees.
Increase in workforce
Since 2020, when teleworking began, the public service has gained more than 57,000 employees, an increase of almost 20%. Some of these employees have never worked full-time in a federal office.
At the same time, Ottawa is working to get rid of its premises.
Budget 2024 committed the Department of Public Services and Supply to reducing its housing stock by 50% over 10 years through sales or leases.
The ministry indicated earlier this year that this target would be adjusted to reflect the fact that civil servants will spend more time in the office.
In a recent memo to federal employees, the department said it would keep several coworking spaces across the country open for six months after the March 31 date.
There are about ten of these spaces, called “GC Coworking,” in the Ottawa area and in cities across the country, including Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, and Vancouver. Some of these spaces opened in 2019.
The note warns that a site in Gatineau will close in June.
“This extension will help ensure that decisions are informed, sustainable and consistent with the new four-day office presence directive,” the memo explains.
She clarifies that co-working sites provide additional workspace options and are not intended to replace departmental workplaces.
The memo also adds that staff members requiring workspace to meet hybrid working requirements should contact their line manager or the appropriate authority within their ministry.
Already in difficulty
Federal unions have warned that many departments have even struggled to comply with current return-to-office rules due to a lack of space.
Officials said that in some ministries, employees must reserve their time in the office a month in advance, and that different staff members use the same offices on different days.
Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said in an email that the union warned from the start that there was not enough office space or workstations to support a four-day-a-week in-office requirement.
“Under current policy, shared offices are already fully booked in many ministries,” she said.
“Not to mention the deplorable state of many government buildings, where workers have to deal with workplaces infested with bedbugs, mice and even bats. »
Pests were spotted in federal buildings across the country more than 960 times between April and November 2025. The Department of Public Services and Procurement Canada mentioned late last year that these pests included – but were not limited to – bats, birds, ants, bedbugs, bees, wasps and other small insects, mice and other rodents.
The Ministry of Public Services and Procurement reported that 58% of state-owned office buildings were rated in “fair condition or better” as of March 2025.
The ministry clarified that this includes buildings undergoing major long-term rehabilitation work, such as Place du Portage III in Gatineau, and the Lester B. Pearson building in Ottawa.
