Question Period Note: Federal Workplaces – Post-Pandemic Planning

As COVID-19 vaccination rates increase across Canada and public health guidance evolves, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat is planning for gradual increases in occupancy of federal workplaces and a phased transition to flexible, post-pandemic workplace models.

•As has been the case from the outset of the pandemic, public servants can be confident that every measure continues to be taken to ensure their safety in the workplace. And with more than 95% of federal public servants fully vaccinated and approximately 98% having had at least one shot, we know that we have a strong foundation moving forward.
•There is no one-size-fits-all approach or model that will work for all departments and agencies. As the heads of their organizations, deputy heads are responsible for the safety and well-being of their employees. They will establish next steps in a phased way with sustained employee engagement.
•We will continue to build flexibility into our work models, including hybrid work, where this is possible and where it makes sense.

The COVID-19 crisis resulted in an abrupt shift to remote working arrangements for public servants in all jurisdictions as Canadians made every effort to stay home and practice physical distancing. The public service responded quickly to implement unprecedented programs to support Canadians and to support our employees, but also to ensure ongoing operations and the continued delivery of key programs and services to Canadians.
As vaccination rates increase across Canada, it is expected that public health advice and public behaviour will continue to evolve accordingly. Further, as vaccinations become available internationally, certain sectors such as international travel are also expected to adapt current operating procedures which will impact various elements such as our border security, global affairs, health and food safety, and public safety program portfolios.
The following principles continue to inform decision making and planning in the current context:
• the health, safety, and wellness of public servants and Canadians are paramount;
• public health advice to contain the spread of COVID-19 will be adhered to; and
• programs and services that Canadians rely on will be maintained.
As announced on November 10, 2021, two important developments took effect as of November 15, 2021 and will allow departments and agencies to continue planning to support the gradual return of larger numbers of public servants to federal work settings:
• Full implementation of the Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: and
• Updated Health Canada Public Service Occupational Health Program guidance to support departments and agencies in gradually increasing occupancy and planning for re-entry into their workplaces.
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat of Canada has established a post-pandemic planning framework, including enterprise planning principles and planning phases for the short-, medium- and long-term horizons, to support deputy heads. This provides enterprise coherence while allowing deputy heads to adapt plans to their unique context and mandate. The new occupational health guidance will inform planning as departments and agencies determine where and how federal public servants can work based on their operational contexts, the nature of their work, and the guidance of public health authorities.
The immediate and short-term planning efforts will focus on gradually increasing occupancy of federal workplaces, establishing a foundation for flexible, hybrid work models and consolidating and sharing lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Medium and long-term planning will focus on framing broader transformation towards a future-ready public service.

PSPC is working with departments and agencies to ensure that employees who have continued to work in federal buildings and those that may return have a safe and healthy work environment. Shared Services Canada (SSC) has been collaborating with departments and agencies to provide a consistent Government of Canada IT resumption experience for the return to worksites, whether organizations return to an office environment, continue to work remotely, or have a hybrid arrangement of both.

OCHRO continues to engage with provincial, territorial and municipal counterparts (i.e. Ottawa and Gatineau) as well as networks of international public service officials, particularly through the OECD, on post-pandemic planning issues. In addition, officials across government are assessing the lessons learned from the last 19 months in terms of what worked well and what could be improved upon as well as researching how best to maintain and maximize flexible work arrangements for employees while maintaining services to Canadians. Consultations and engagement with stakeholders, including bargaining agents, partners and communities will continue throughout the current and future phases.

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