Compliance Issues with Federal Remote Work Rules

A significant number of public servants in Canada's largest federal departments are not adhering to the mandated remote work guidelines set by the government. According to federal data, many employees are failing to meet the requirement of working at least three days a week in the office.

Department of National Defence Has the Lowest Compliance Rate

The Department of National Defence (DND) has reported the lowest rate of compliance with the three-day in-office work rule. This information comes from records obtained and reveals that DND's compliance averaged 60% in January, significantly lower than in previous months. For context, the compliance rate was only 31% in December. The DND employs around 28,700 people and has seen varied compliance levels throughout the last few months, with rates reported at 61% in November and higher at 72% in October and September.

Particularly in the National Capital Region, compliance is even more concerning. In November, only 57% of DND staff in the Ottawa area met the three-day requirement, compared to 69% of employees in other regions. These figures reflect a drop from 70% compliance in both September and October within the capital region.

Andrée-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for DND, clarified that the reported compliance statistics consider only employees with hybrid work arrangements and do not account for all types of leave, such as vacations and training days. She also noted that many DND employees had already returned to working on-site full time since the beginning of the pandemic.

Responses from Other Federal Departments

Another major department, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), reported a much higher compliance rate, estimating that 80% of its 59,000 employees were abiding by the three-day requirement as of December. This figure marked a slight increase from 76% in November and 77% in October.

Employment and Social Development Canada, which has approximately 39,000 employees, has maintained a compliance rate around 75% since the remote work mandate began in September. This indicates a relatively consistent adherence to the guidelines among its staff.

Smaller departments show varied compliance rates. For instance, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, with about 13,000 employees, reported a compliance rate of 93% in January compared to 72% in September. On the other hand, the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, which employs approximately 6,800 personnel, indicated that compliance among non-frontline employees varied, standing at 73% between October and January.

Management and Compliance Monitoring

According to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, it is the responsibility of managers to monitor their staff's work performance and presence in the office. A document released by the Treasury Board outlines potential penalties for non-compliance with the remote work rules, which can range from verbal warnings to termination of employment. However, it also emphasizes that exceptions may apply based on individual circumstances, including human rights considerations.

The Public Service Alliance of Canada, which represents many federal public servants, has not reported any suspensions or layoffs related to remote work rule violations. Furthermore, the Treasury Board does not actively track disciplinary actions related to compliance issues.

As of 2024, the total number of individuals working in the federal public service is approximately 367,772, highlighting the scale of the compliance challenges faced across various departments.

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