Federal government to re-introduce assigned seating for public servants this summer

A Government of Canada building is seen in spring of 2026 in this file photo. (CTV News Ottawa)

Most public servants will have assigned seating when the federal government increases the on-site requirements to four days a week this summer.

The Secretary of the Treasury Board sent a memo to federal workers on Friday, saying the government will move away from unassigned seating in offices.

“We are confirming that the increase in on-site presence includes a commitment to assigned seating for the majority of employees, recognizing it will be achieved over time for some organizations,” Bill Matthews said in a letter to deputy heads.

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Matthews says some departments may need to reconfigure floors to “make better use of space.”

In February, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat announced a new return-to-office mandate for employees in the core public service. As of May 4, all executives in the public service are required to be in the office five days a week, and all other employees will be required onsite a minimum of four days per week starting July 6.

As part of the shift to hybrid work following the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government introduced flexible alternative workplaces for public servants in Ottawa-Gatineau and other cities and allowed unassigned seating.

“The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat held four engagement sessions with all bargaining agents to seek their input on implementing increased on-site presence,” Matthews said.

“These discussions underscored the value of assigned seating to enhance collaboration among teams.”

Matthews says many departments and agencies “currently have sufficient space to welcome their employees onsite four days per week” with a mix of assigned and unassigned seating.

“Even with unassigned seating, some organizations will require additional capacity in certain sites,” Matthews said.

“In these situations, Deputy Ministers can stagger their implementation schedules to match their workplace realities, while aiming to maximize the on-site presence of employees beginning July 6.”

Three federal departments have announced a delay in the return-to-office mandate due to a lack of office space – Global Affairs Canada, Statistics Canada and Immigration, Refugee and Citizenship Canada. The Department of National Defence said workspace “may be limited” at certain buildings, and implementation of the four-day office mandate will be “managed by managers.”

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