Estelle Côté-Sroka · CBC News

· Posted: Apr 23, 2026 2:23 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

Global Affairs Canada (GAC) says most of its employees will not be required to work in the office four days a week, starting on July 6, as there isn't enough office space to make the change work, Radio-Canada has learned.

The shift in plans, communicated in a GAC internal memo obtained by Radio-Canada, affects the majority of the department's unionized employees. They are currently required to be in the office three days a week.

In February, the Treasury Board Secretariat announced that all unionized federal public servants would be required to return to the office for a minimum of four days a week starting July 6.

But according to the memo, GAC's unionized staff will continue to be allowed to report to the office only three days a week for an indefinite period of time.

Starting Sept. 15, at least one of those three days must be either a Monday or a Friday, according to the memo.

Executives will still be required to be in the office five days a week starting May 4, as originally planned.

Managers, whether unionized or not, and assistant directors reporting to a director will be required to work from the office four days a week and will be phased in between July 6 and Sept. 15.

The physical presence of managers "helps ensure employees receive timely and consistent in-person guidance, which contributes to strengthening teamwork and collaboration," according to the memo. Managers present four days a week will be provided with an assigned workspace.

The new plan will remain in place until "sufficient workspace" becomes available, the memo went on to state.

"This flip-flop confirms exactly what we’ve been stating from the beginning: forcing everyone to return to the office is a logistical mess," the Public Service Alliance of Canada union said in an emailed statement.

Ongoing renos also cited

The department has decided to implement a "phased" return-to-office approach due to "ongoing renovation work that is limiting available workspace," according to the memo.

Entitled "New approach to increasing on-site presence at headquarters and regional offices," the document does not specify the date when unionized employees will eventually have to be on site four days a week.

Radio-Canada has reached out to GAC for comment. The department had 7,657 employees as of last year.

The department also announced it is introducing a "standardized annual telework agreement renewal cycle," saying it will provide "greater clarity and predictability" in workspace management.

Telework agreements must be renewed in order to take effect on Sept. 15.

Radio-Canada has also reached out to the Treasury Board for comment.

Others may follow suit: union

Sean O'Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, believes GAC won't be the only department to reverse course on its return-to-office plans.

"It's refreshing to finally have a department realize what we've been saying for months — that there's not enough space," O'Reilly said told CBC.

"I wouldn't be surprised if more departments [start] making similar announcements over the next couple of weeks."