By: Ebenezer Adugyamfi/ Emmanuel Ayiku for GhanaianNewsCanada
September 13, 2026
About 10% of Canada’s unionized federal public servants — roughly 34,000 employees — are still unable to return to the office four days a week because there simply is not enough workspace to accommodate them, according to Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).
The revelation comes just months after the federal government introduced its new four-day return-to-office policy, requiring most hybrid public servants to work from the office at least four days each week beginning July 6, 2026.
A return-to-office policy meets a space shortage
The four-day workplace mandate was announced by the Treasury Board earlier this year as part of the government’s effort to strengthen collaboration, organizational culture and service delivery across the federal public service. Executives had already returned to the office five days a week in May, while other eligible employees were expected to follow with a four-day schedule in July.
However, the transition has exposed a practical problem: many government buildings no longer have enough desks or offices for everyone.
According to PSPC, approximately 34,000 employees remain on temporary staggered schedules while departments work to create additional workspace through renovations, office reconfiguration and assigned seating.
Which departments are affected?
Several major federal departments have acknowledged localized space shortages.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says most employees will continue working three days in the office until additional space becomes available, while managers are already following the four-day requirement. Global Affairs Canada is also phasing in the policy as multi-year renovation projects continue at its headquarters and other federal buildings.
Health Canada, the Public Health Agency of Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada have likewise reported space constraints in some regional offices, resulting in staggered implementation at selected locations.
Government says the delay is temporary
Public Services and Procurement Canada insists the shortfall is temporary and says it is working with departments to maximize available workspace.
The department says solutions include replacing furniture, redesigning office layouts, increasing assigned seating and optimizing underused federal buildings to support the return of more employees without unnecessary spending.
The Treasury Board has also given deputy ministers flexibility to stagger implementation where buildings cannot immediately support the four-day mandate, while still aiming to increase in-office presence as quickly as possible.
Unions continue to push back
The return-to-office policy remains controversial among federal unions, which argue that a one-size-fits-all approach ignores operational realities and employee productivity.
Union leaders have questioned the value of requiring employees to commute for hours only to spend much of the day participating in virtual meetings from government offices. Several bargaining agents have filed grievances and legal challenges against the mandatory workplace policy.
Critics also argue that the office shortage highlights a contradiction in the government’s approach, noting that many federal buildings were downsized during the expansion of hybrid work after the COVID-19 pandemic.
What happens next?
For now, the federal government says the 90% of employees whose workplaces can accommodate the policy will continue following the four-day requirement, while the remaining 10% will transition gradually as additional office space becomes available.
As departments renovate buildings and expand capacity, thousands of public servants are expected to move from temporary three-day schedules to the government’s full four-day in-office model over the coming months.
