Many public servants breaking remote work rules, data shows

Large numbers of public servants in the federal government's three biggest departments aren't following Ottawa's three-days-per-week office work rule, federal data shows.

Large numbers of public servants working in the federal government’s three biggest departments aren’t following Ottawa’s three-days-per-week office work rule, federal data shows.

The federal government’s latest remote work mandate, which took effect in early September, requires all staff employed under the Treasury Board to work on-site a minimum of three days a week. Executives are expected to work in the office four days a week.

The Canadian Press asked for compliance rates from a number of federal departments, including the three with the largest workforces — the Department of National Defence, the Canada Revenue Agency and Employment and Social Development Canada.

Of those three, Defence, which employs about 28,700 people, saw the lowest rate of compliance with the three-day rule, especially in the National Capital Region.

The department, known informally as DND, says its average rate of compliance with the three-day rule in January was 60 per cent — but just 31 per cent in December.

DND’s reported compliance rate nationally was 61 per cent in November and 72 per cent in both October and September.

Staff in the National Capital Region seemed less likely to meet the requirement, with 57 per cent of DND staff in the Ottawa area meeting the three-day requirement in November, compared with 69 per cent elsewhere. In September and October, 70 per cent of DND staff in the capital region were compliant, compared to 76 and 77 per cent outside the Ottawa area.

Andrée-Anne Poulin, a spokesperson for DND, said the data does not factor in all leave, including vacation, training and sick days.