NSGEU concerned back-to-office mandate will ‘add to traffic congestion’ in Halifax

Government workers in Nova Scotia are being told to return to office full time, which is not going down well with the unions representing civil servants.

Unionized government workers in Nova Scotia are being instructed to return to the office full time, as the province wants civil servants who have been working remotely back in the office five days a week.

The return-to-office directive, which went out last week, affects roughly 3,000 unionized employees. The province says many have already returned to in-person work given the nature of their roles.

But the blanket directive isn’t sitting well with the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU), which represents civil servants, who make up 25 per cent of the government workforce.

NSGEU President Sandra Mullen says almost 1,500 of the provincial employees work in offices in downtown Halifax, so the move will create further gridlock on the peninsula.

“It’s going to add to the traffic congestion in this already busy city and put pressure on parking, where we don’t have parking already, and it’s going to cause a lot of headaches,” said Mullen.

The NSGEU points to the province’s record $1.4-billion deficit and questions why government would impose a return-to-office mandate now, while it’s apparently looking for cost savings.

“This is not a cost-saving measure,” said Mullen. “We haven’t seen any data on whether this is efficient.”

The province’s Public Service Commission said there will be no extra costs related to bringing employees back to in-person work, and calls the directive a measure to support collaboration, mentorship, and effective service delivery.

“This change relates specifically to remote work arrangements and does not end flexible work options,” said a spokesperson with the Public Service Commission. “Flexibilities, including earned days off and modified work weeks, will continue based on operational requirements.”

Non-unionized provincial employees were directed back to the office in the fall of 2024 and the government says many unionized workers are already working in the office full time.

Halifax-based labour and employment lawyer Brian Johnston says the move is significant given the number of employees involved, but he notes it’s not an unusual ask, and suggests the union and workers likely saw it coming.

“I would be surprised by any employer who is making this kind of move, affecting we’ll say 20 per cent of its workforce, if it hasn’t laid the groundwork out already,” said Johnston, a partner with the Atlantic-based Stewart McKelvey law firm.

Johnston suggests many workers in the private sector have already been mandated back to the office post-covid, while so too have other employees from various levels of government, which he says only makes sense for improved work culture and collaboration.

“It’s very difficult to build work culture over Microsoft Teams meetings or Zoom,” said Johnston. “So, I can see why the government wants people back to work in the office and engaging with each other to establish appropriate standards and learning opportunities.”

Unionized employees with the Nova Scotia government have been given a 60-day notice, with a full return to the office by mid-April.

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