Ottawa federal workers told to return four days a week as study warns against morale damage
A study of U.S. return-to-office fallout warns Ottawa is repeating mistakes. Canadian federal workers now required four days in-office as of July.
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A researcher at the National School of Public Administration is warning that Canada's mandatory return-to-office policy risks repeating mistakes documented in the U.S., where similar requirements sparked anger and eroded employee trust.
The federal government now requires employees to work in-office four days per week as of July 2026, escalating from a three-day minimum in 2024 and two to three days in 2023. A study published in Review of Public Personnel Management examined how U.S. federal workers responded to President Trump's January 2025 return-to-office mandate, which affected more than one million executive branch employees.
U.S. federal employees reported anger, frustration, and a sense of betrayal, with many describing their offices as toxic or demoralizing. Study respondents emphasized the return was "an emotionally charged rupture," with comments like "destroying morale," "eroding trust," or "making me not want to work for these people anymore." Many reported lower perceived productivity and said loss of autonomy damaged trust in their employer.
Étienne Charbonneau, corresponding author on the study, said the Canadian approach mirrors the U.S. pattern. "This happened right next door, and it was documented in a language that people in Ottawa could understand. Why are they doing the same mistakes many months after and not learning?" Charbonneau said Canadian complaints are "very similar" to what the study found in the U.S., though Canada's policy was "not as bad." He said the approach points to poor planning.
Charbonneau noted that subjective employee responses are a valid measure for assessing morale and job satisfaction in the public service, though he acknowledged feelings alone are an incomplete tool for measuring worker productivity.
How many federal public servants are affected by the July 2026 four-day policy, and has the government measured morale or retention changes since each phase?
What specific employee feedback did Treasury Board Secretariat receive before implementing the policy, and why did they not address the concerns the U.S. study documented?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many days per week must Canadian federal workers now be in the office?
Canadian federal workers are required to work in-office four days per week as of July 2026.
What did a study of U.S. federal workers find about return-to-office mandates?
A study published in Review of Public Personnel Management examined how U.S. federal workers responded to President Trump's January 2025 return-to-office mandate. U.S. federal employees reported anger, frustration, and a sense of betrayal, with many describing their offices as toxic or demoralizing and emphasizing that the return was 'an emotionally charged rupture.'
Who is warning about Canada repeating U.S. return-to-office mistakes?
Étienne Charbonneau, corresponding author of the study at the National School of Public Administration, is warning that Canada's mandatory return-to-office policy risks repeating mistakes documented in the U.S. and that Canadian complaints are 'very similar' to what the study found.
