‘The future of work is remote’: Federal unions launch national campaign promoting hybrid work arrangements

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Three federal unions have launched a new national campaign to promote remote work “as the future of work for millions of workers” across Canada, as they urge the federal government to adopt “flexible work arrangements.”

The Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), the Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE), and the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) launched the campaign Monday morning to highlight the “benefits of remote work,” saying it leads to “more productivity, less congestion on our roads, reduced pollution and better work-like balance for families.”

“We are also calling on the public to join the movement and support remote work — not just for the federal public service, but as a new norm for workplaces across the country,” the unions said.

Last September, the federal government introduced new rules for hybrid work, requiring public servants in the core public administration to be in the office a minimum of three days per week, while executives are expected to be on-site a minimum of four days a week. The rules apply to 282,152 employees in the core public service.

PSAC says its surveys and research shows 90 per cent of respondents want to work remotely “as much as possible or have a flexible option.”

“The evidence is clear: remote work is good work,” Sharon DeSousa, national president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, said in a statement.

“Flexible work arrangements allow us to build the modern, productive public service of tomorrow which will benefit everyone in Canada. It saves taxpayers money, is better for the environment, and sets the bar for all workers across the country.”

The unions, which represent more than 330,000 federal workers, say the new campaign will highlight the “overwhelming evidence that a one-size-fits-all approach to remote work is ineffective for Canada’s diverse public service and its future.”

The unions are calling on the federal government to have flexible work arrangements “allowing workers to be more productive, have better work-life balance and make it more affordable.”

Last year, former Treasury Board President Anita Anand announced a working group was being established to examine productivity in the federal public service and inform the government’s economic plan. The government said the working group will “identify opportunities to advance the public service’s ability to be innovative, flexible and efficient in delivery programs and services” for Canadians and supporting businesses.

The working group will present a report by March.

One of the members of the working group told The Canadian Press over the weekend that the working group has not looked at remote work.

Bae Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, told The Canadian Press that remote work “is not part of anything that we’ve discussed at the moment.”

The president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada says the future of work “isn’t about counting days in the office.”

“It’s about supporting professionals to deliver the best results for Canadians,” Sean O’Reilly said. “By expanding remote and telework options in the federal public service, we can save taxpayer money, boost productivity and improve workers’ lives – driving outcomes that benefit everyone. The key is ‘presence with purpose.’”

With files from The Canadian Press