Executive public servants returning to the office on a full-time basis today

People make their way across Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa on Thursday, April 16, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA — Starting today, executives in the federal public service are expected to work on-site in the office five days a week.

The Treasury Board announced the change to remote work rules in February and said all other employees will have to be in the office four days a week as of July 6.

The new directive applies only to public servants working in the core departments and agencies under Treasury Board, though some separate agencies, like the Canada Revenue Agency and the National Research Council, have said they intend to follow the same approach.

Most public servants were told to work remotely when the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, and core federal employees have been working three days in-office since September 2024, after the standard increased from two days.

Federal unions have fought the government’s back-to-office directives and some have filed unfair labour practice complaints.

The Treasury Board website says there were 9,340 executives working for the federal government as of the end of March 2025, out of 357,965 public servants.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 4, 2026.

Catherine Morrison, The Canadian Press