Ontario civil service returns to office with FIFA exemptions
Finance minister promises 'flexibility' for government workers on World Cup game days as union warns rigid policy is creating confusion.
Ontario's finance minister says there will be "flexibility" to rules requiring all civil servants to work five days a week in the office during the FIFA World Cup, with allowances made for workers on game days June 12 and 26.
Peter Bethlenfalvy made the remarks Wednesday, stressing individual accommodations will be available. He's taking over the cabinet portfolio overseeing the Ontario civil service return-to-office policy from Caroline Mulroney this week.
"There's flexibility, there's allowance for circumstances and this is an example of one of those accommodations," Bethlenfalvy said. "We're providing that flexibility and we're going to continue to move forward."
Last August, the province announced that 60,000 public service employees had to increase office attendance to four days per week starting October 20, 2025, then transition to full-time in-office work as of January 5. It was a shift from a 2022 policy requiring three days per week.
The move angered workers and their unions, who argued hybrid arrangements had proven successful both before and during the pandemic.
But confusion has surrounded how the policy applies to FIFA disruptions. A memo sent only to managers said workers could adjust hours or use vacation days to avoid anticipated crowds. In subsequent statements, the government said managers could approve ad hoc remote work requests for temporary flexibility on game days.
AMAPC EO president representing 17,000 professional and administrative staff says the conflicting messages highlight how the rigid policy fails in a city like Toronto. "Beyond this just being about the disruption of FIFA, we're trying to demonstrate that there are cyclical things that come up. Having a blanket policy against remote work just doesn't make sense in an urban centre like Toronto," he said.
Bethlenfalvy defended the policy, emphasizing collaboration and mentorship benefits of in-office work, with no signal the province intends to reverse course.
The real test will come when the World Cup actually kicks off and workers try to navigate which exemptions the government actually intends to grant.