NATIONAL PULSE – Federal return-to-office policy causes division

Two-in-five union members believe government should back down in face of “summer of discontent”

By ANGUS REID INSTITUTE

May 23, 2024 – For many, remote work is an indispensable element of post-pandemic office life, but balance between work in-office and at-home has become a source of dispute between employees and employers.

As the federal government mandates more in-office time for its workers, new data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds a majority of Canadians (59%) support federal workers spending more time in-office and less time remotely.

Support outweighs opposition among working Canadians (54% vs. 32%) as well as among union members (52% vs. 35%), including those carrying a union card in the public sector (47% vs. 41%).

The union representing the bulk of federal workers has promised a “summer of discontent” in response to the new federal government remote work policy requiring at least three days of in-office work. The discontent could spill over into negotiations between the government and 9,000 Canada Border Services workers, who could strike this summer and delay border crossings.

If that were to happen, half (47%) of Canadians want the federal government to continue to push forward with the new remote work policy, while one-third (33%) say the government should back down. Public sector union members (45%) are more likely to want the federal government to rescind the policy in the face of discontent than to move forward with the new return-to-workplace mandate (36%).

For full report including methodology, click here

Link to the poll here: www.angusreid.org/