The federal government says it may “reallocate” its co-working sites to help departments that are short on space meet the goal of having unionized employees report to the office four days a week starting July 6.

“As part of the transition back to a four-day-a-week office schedule, various options are currently being considered, one of which is to reallocate these spaces to federal agencies to meet their needs,” a spokesperson for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) stated in a French-language email to Radio-Canada.

Co-working sites are office spaces shared between employees of different federal departments. The idea, at least in part, is to help employees reduce travel time during on-site work days. 

In total, 15,000 public servants from 53 departments use 12 co-working sites across the country, representing 337 workstations, according to the government.

Six of these shared workspaces are located in the National Capital Region. The others are in Toronto, Vancouver, Charlottetown, Laval, Que., Moncton, N.B., and Dartmouth, N.S.

Solid demand for spaces

Most spaces at the co-working sites must be reserved, but some are available on a first-come, first-served basis. In Orléans, public servants sometimes wait in line for nearly an hour hoping to get a desk.

According to PSPC, the average occupancy rate is 61 per cent.

“This proves our point that there aren’t enough spaces to force a return to the office,” said Alex Silas, national executive vice-president of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).

Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), said he was disappointed, but not surprised, by the idea.

“Reserving co-working spaces for some federal employees while excluding others is still a bad solution,” he said. “It won’t be sustainable or sufficient.”

Where departments are at on this

The unions are calling on the government to halt the next phase of the return-to-office plan and prioritize teleworking. Silas said he believes that “the real solution is to accept that teleworking works.”

While Global Affairs Canada has decided to postpone the four-day plan for the majority of its public servants due to a lack of space, several other departments are still searching for solutions.

The Department of National Defence “has limited space in certain areas, particularly in the National Capital Region,” acknowledged spokesperson Kened Sadiku.

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada spokesperson Caleb Spassov said his department plans to add hundreds of additional workstations in the coming months.

Justice Canada said it is continuing its planning work. An analysis is underway to determine the department’s capacity to “comply” with the July 6 plan, according to spokesperson Ian McLeod.

Environment and Climate Change Canada also indicated it is continuing its detailed analysis of available space, while Canadian Heritage is evaluating its options.

Statistics Canada, Indigenous Services Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and Employment and Social Development Canada all said they are working with PSPC to meet the office attendance requirements.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada said it has taken the necessary steps to accommodate its employees on-site for the required number of days.