“When nearly one in five members of the federal public service is over the age of 55, approaching retirement age, we cannot afford to lose half of our youngest workers,” said PIPSC President Jennifer Carr. “The government won’t be able to deliver the services Canadians rely on if it’s not able to address the major recruitment and retention problem it’s created with its own flawed return to office policy. These numbers add up to a public service in peril.”

In his statement in support of National Public Service Week this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government is supporting the career development of Indigenous, Black, and racialized employees, and building an inclusive and equitable public service. But workers who identify as Black are more than twice as likely to be concerned with discrimination and harassment now that they have been ordered back to the office.

People with Disabilities are also twice as likely to be concerned with discrimination and harassment in the office, and more than twice as likely to report that their workstations do not meet their needs. Seventy percent said that their mental well-being has gotten worse as a result of not being able to work remotely.

The RTO policy also puts an increased burden on women workers, who are more likely to be balancing caregiving responsibilities at home – often responsible for both their children and their aging parents. More than half of women report their caregiving responsibilities have gotten worse under RTO.

“This government claims it wants to prioritize recruiting younger workers, workers with disabilities, Black workers, and women,” said Carr. “But at the same time, they are implementing an RTO policy that makes it harder for these groups to be successful in the workplace.”

PIPSC believes in the principle of “presence with purpose” – being at the office when justified by operational needs. The union continues to advocate for what was originally promised by the government: a hybrid-by-design approach that considers employees’ unique circumstances and job requirements.

“Flexibility is now the centerpiece of a modern and progressive workplace,” said Carr. “Our union is ready to work with the government to develop policies that make sense.”

In May 2023, PIPSC conducted an online survey of more than 68,000 of its members working for Federal Departments or Agencies, to assess how the members feel after returning to the office. More than 17% responded to the survey.

PIPSC represents over 72,000 public service professionals working for the federal government as well as some provincial departments and agencies.

SOURCE Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC)

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Returning for Good, a Unispace Global Workplace Insights report – which combined the results of a survey of 9,500 employees and 6,650 employers from 17 countries worldwide – found that, of the 72% of companies globally that say they have mandated office returns, 42% now report a higher level of employee attrition than anticipated, while almost a third (29%) are struggling to recruit altogether.

The study, an in-depth examination of the current habits and motivations of the workforce, found that employees are less reluctant to return to the office (51%) than they were in 2021 (64%). With a current reluctance of one in two employees however, there is still much to be done to engage the workforce.

Employers indicate notably higher levels of confidence around talent attraction activities carried out in the office when compared to remote, particularly for recruitment (89% versus 73%) and training new staff (84% versus 70%).

An overwhelming majority of employers (84%) also indicated that career prospects would be limited to those who work exclusively from home.

Three in four business leaders surveyed (75%) indicated that they have increased their real estate portfolio in the last two years, with companies across Asia Pacific reporting the highest rates of growth. This expansion includes talent attraction and revenue-generating trends such as creating hospitality spaces by 44% of firms.

Employers currently failing to recognize what employees need and value most

The study also revealed that employers have not recognized the challenges that employees have with their current workplace set up. The majority (58%) of workers indicated that they struggle to carry out their core job in the office due to distractions. Meanwhile, 83% of employers say they believe that the office is set up to allow their employees to be productive.

Employers also underestimate key workplace dislikes. Employees put a premium on productivity and personal space – citing missing the privacy they can access at home (31%), the ability to be more effective in a quiet environment away from the office (27%), and feeling more productive at home (23%) as top dislikes. In comparison, employers suggested that the commute was the biggest barrier to getting workers back into the workplace.

Steve Quick, Unispace Global CEO commented: “Employee work habits continue to evolve as we all adapt in today’s rapidly changing work environment. Employers who take the time to understand what their employees need and value most from their office will be more successful in redefining the power and purpose of that workspace. This will drive strength of culture, brand, employee loyalty and wellbeing, and talent retention.”

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