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The Treasury Board of Canada president says he believes the federal government will have enough space for when public servants are expected back in the office four days a week starting this summer.
The statement, made Monday by Shafqat Ali, comes only days after the treasury board suggested the opposite to Radio-Canada.
In a French-language email last week, the department said “there may not be enough workstations at some locations to meet the four-day work week requirement for all staff starting July 6.”
On Monday, however, when asked by CBC about the next stage of the government’s return-to-office plan, Ali said, “I think we’ll have enough space.”
“We’re working with [Public Services and Procurement Canada] and we’ll be working with bargaining agents,” Ali added from the House of Commons foyer.
“Obviously, we’re not going to put people [in] if we don’t have space. That’s common sense. We’ll be working with those partners to find space for them.”
Civil servants currently only have to come into the office three days a week — a rule that was put in place in September 2024 as government employees were for the most part working remotely in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this month, the federal government announced it expects employees who haven’t done so already to return to in-office work for a minimum of four days a week starting this July.
Government executives will be expected in the office five days.