Message to Deputy Ministers: Updates to the hybrid work model in the public service

May 1, 2024

In the spring of 2023, the federal public service adopted a common hybrid work model to ensure the experience of working in the public service or receiving services is the same across the government and across the country. To maximize the benefits of presence in the workplace and to bring greater fairness and consistency to the application of hybrid work for our employees, the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace has been updated.

The current direction requires all federal public servants in the core public administration (CPA) eligible for a hybrid work arrangement to work on-site a minimum of 2-3 days per week. By September 9, this requirement will be refined to 3 days of on-site work per week. To ensure leadership and effective support for their teams, executives are expected to be on-site a minimum of 4 days per week also beginning in September 2024. Separate agencies are strongly encouraged to implement a similar plan.

Requiring a minimum of 3 days on-site per week reflects the benefits that consistent in-person interactions offer. These include more effective collaboration and onboarding of new talent, as well as building a strong culture of performance that is consistent with values and ethics of the public service. This approach is consistent with many provincial and territorial governments and private sector organizations.

While many public servants, including executives, are already working on-site 3 days or more a week, for others this will represent an adjustment. Providing employees with this advance notice will help them to make any arrangements needed to smoothly transition to the new minimum in the Fall. We expect senior leaders and executives will demonstrate leadership by ensuring effective implementation and compliance with the direction.

This 3-day minimum requirement also applies to groups of employees in organizations who had been permitted to temporarily continue working remotely based on specific work models (for example, call centre employees). It also applies to those information technology (IT) employees that had been exempted from the direction. As the transition to the 3-day minimum requirement may require more time for these employees and organizations to adapt, organizations may choose to begin phasing in the common hybrid work model in September 2024, with full implementation expected by September 2025. Deputy Minister- or Assistant Deputy Minister-approved exemptions for individual employees are still permissible and remain applicable.

The federal public service has embraced a hybrid work model and will continue to do so. This updated requirement also aligns with the government’s commitment to reduce its office footprint by 50%. Departments and agencies continue to work with Public Services and Procurement Canada to ensure workplaces can accommodate the common hybrid work model, namely by implementing unassigned workspaces.

With the aim of continually improving how we implement the common hybrid work model, we continue to work with a number of bargaining agents and organizations to implement the negotiated letters of agreement to establish departmental review panels. We also continue to work with bargaining agents and organizations on the review of the Directive on Telework, which establishes how we do telework. These activities are distinct from the requirements of the Direction on Prescribed Presence in the Workplace, which are the prerogative of the employer.

Thank you for your continued support as we implement this updated direction to promote fairness across the public service, while providing a consistent level of service to Canadians.

Catherine Blewett
Secretary of the Treasury Board

Jacqueline Bogden
Chief Human Resources Officer, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat