Council stands by city manager on 5-day office policy

Ottawa city council has voted to leave a controversial return-to-office policy for municipal employees in place, brushing aside a motion that would have reversed it.

Even so, city officials reassured critics that the policy’s impact on existing work arrangements will be limited.

In late August, city manager Wendy Stephanson announced that the city would require its employees to return to the office five days per week, starting in January. The policy would affect only a minority of city workers, since 93 per cent are already in the workplace every workday.

In response, Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper introduced a motion to reverse the return-to-office mandate and accommodate employees working from home “subject to reasonable operational considerations.”

But Kanata North Coun. Cathy Curry pre-empted his motion at council on Wednesday with one of her own, stating that city council reiterates its support for Stephanson’s decision-making authority.

Curry’s motion points to Stephanson’s “clear affirmation that the approach governing return to office is flexible,” and states the city “will continue to allow hybrid work arrangements as appropriate.” 

The city manager gave that assurance in a note to councillors on Monday, and she repeated it during the meeting on Wednesday, saying “all requests will be reasonably accommodated.”

“We’re not necessarily going to land on five days a week, but we’re going to start the conversation there,” Stephanson said.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe took the same position.

“What’s happening here is a simple shift. We are not ordering those employees — those seven per cent — back to the office five days a week,” he said. “We are saying the standard will change.”

Critic complains of ‘shenanigans’

Supporters of Leiper’s motion said they were caught completely off guard by Curry’s move. 

“I thought these types of shenanigans were done last term,” said Capital ward Coun. Shawn Menard. “These replacement motions at the last minute when no one sees them.”

He pressed Stephanson on precisely what the new five-day policy will change, given her assurance that flexibility will continue.

People rally against the City of Ottawa’s return-to-office mandate outside city hall on Wednesday. (Francis Ferland/CBC)

Stephanson said exceptions will be granted through an “individualized personalized discussion,” but there will be a move to ensure employees are more present in the workplace. She said that will mean better workplace culture and more collaboration.

Menard was dissatisfied with that answer. He said hybrid work will help the city recruit and retain employees, and said Stephanson had provided no evidence the new policy will improve city services.

“This decision makes no sense. It really smacks of a political decision made one week after Doug Ford encouraged municipalities to make this choice, and I think it’s the wrong choice for our employees,” he said. 

“A hybrid work schedule is the best of all worlds. It allows in-person collaboration, it allows for flexibility and happier, more productive employees.”

Stephanson said neither Ford nor Sutcliffe directed her to change the policy.

Policy will not apply to councillors

Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster said it’s “hypocritical” for the city to require more in-person work when there’s no such requirement for councillors.

“There are members of council that are currently on Zoom,” she said.

Coun. Matt Luloff, who often appears remotely at council meetings, spoke up in favour of flexibility but still supported Curry’s motion. He said he was working from home on Wednesday due to an eye infection, and often faces the same child-care challenges as city employees.

“A rigid one-size-fits-all approach to work doesn’t make sense for our city or our employees or the people that we serve,” he said. “I’ve always tried to lead by example. My staff are not tied to desks at city hall. They’re out in the community engaging with residents.”

But he said he was satisfied that the policy will allow precisely that flexibility when it makes sense. An amendment to Curry’s motion made that still clearer, by requesting that managers strive to maintain existing hybrid work arrangements for employees as they stand today.

Council passed Curry’s motion as amended in a 15-10 vote. West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly said it hits the “sweet spot” between productivity and flexibility.

Some councillors argued that elected officials shouldn’t interfere in staffing decisions, but should leave that to the city manager. Luloff took that position. So did Rideau-Jock Coun. David Brown, who noted that the move to send city employees home during the pandemic was also purely a bureaucratic decision.

“I’m shocked we’re talking about it today. We didn’t vote to send them home. We shouldn’t be voting on whether they should continue to work from home or in the office,” he said.

“It is up to the city manager to manage the workforce of the corporation. It is not up to us, nor should it be.”

Sutcliffe took the same approach.

“We don’t do HR,” he said. “The city manager does HR.”

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper speaks at a rally outside Ottawa city hall on Wednesday. Leiper’s motion to reconsider the city’s looming five-day mandate failed to reach the voting stage. (Francis Ferland/CBC)Unions rally against policy

Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr agreed, casting Leiper’s motion as an unprecedented attempt to strip away Stephanson’s authority to manage the bureaucracy. She called that “draconian.”

Carr asked whether council has ever restricted the city manager’s authority in a similar manner over the last decade. The city clerk said she could find no other example.

Still, Carr said the roll-out of Stephanson’s policy could have been better.

“I am concerned how politicized this discussion has been,” she said.

We’ve proven that it works. City of Ottawa professionals — our members, 1,500 of them — have worked hybrid for years now.- Peter Bleyer, Civic Institute of Professional Personnel 

Stephanson’s policy triggered indignation from unions representing municipal workers. Their leaders spoke at a small protest outside city hall on Wednesday, just before the vote. They held signs with slogans including “hybrid works” and “don’t commute our lives away.”

Peter Bleyer, executive director of the Civic Institute of Professional Personnel, said the return-to-work policy is “backwards” and “retrograde.” He called hybrid work an important tool. 

“It should not be thrown by the wayside,” he said. “We’ve proven that it works. City of Ottawa professionals — our members, 1,500 of them — have worked hybrid for years now.”

He didn’t accept Stephanson’s assurance that the policy will allow for flexibility and give discretion to managers to consider hybrid work requests.

“It’s not about discretion. It’s not about exceptions. Hybrid work is a way of working,” Bleyer said. “It’s not about how many days we’re gonna let you work from home because we’re feeling nice and we want to be generous towards you.”