DM/DMA Message: Updates to Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace for public service employees

May 1, 2024 - Defence Stories

Defence Team Members,

To maximize the benefits of presence in the workplace, and to bring greater fairness and consistency to the application of hybrid work for public service employees, the Government of Canada has updated the Direction on prescribed presence in the workplace.

By September 9, 2024, federal public servants in the core public administration (CPA) who are eligible for a hybrid work arrangement will be required to work on site a minimum of 3 days per week.

To provide leadership and effective support for their teams, executives will be required to be on site a minimum of 4 days per week, also beginning September 2024.

This updated requirement also applies to previously exempted IT employees, who will be expected to implement these requirements no later than September 2025.

Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) Members

All CAF supervisors should also implement these requirements for their public service employees. Note that the expectations for workplace attendance for CAF members have not changed and will be reinforced in an upcoming message from the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Compliance

As we move forward, we want to remind Defence Team members that all public service employees are required to have an approved and valid work arrangement (accessible only on the National Defence network). Managers are also required to determine the suitability of hybrid or remote work and follow existing processes to submit requests for employee exceptions (accessible only on the National Defence network) or accommodations (accessible only on the National Defence network).

Monitoring and Reporting

In accordance with the Privacy Act, compliance is monitored through work arrangement reporting and data captured from DWAN Internet Protocol addresses at DND locations, including connection frequency. Managers must monitor and address non-compliance directly with the employee, in consultation with labour relations (accessible only on the National Defence network), as required. To date, our monitoring has indicated that most employees are compliant, however we still have areas where improvement is required.

We will continue to invest in and monitor how hybrid work is implemented and optimized across the Defence Team, in order to provide fairness, flexibility, and a focus on creating a strong culture of performance that is consistent with the values and ethics of a public service delivering for Canadians.