How does remote work fit into the PSAC strike? Here’s what experts are watching

Increased flexibility to work from home has emerged as a major issue among Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) federal workers on strike this week. And what happens next could send a “signal” to other sectors about their own negotiations over remote work, some say.

“If you’re just answering the phones, you don’t need to be in the office to be able to do that,” said Melodie Da Silva, a public service worker who was on the picket line in Ottawa.

Greater “remote work protection” is one of the issues the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) says it wants to discuss in negotiations with the federal government. But experts and business groups are torn on the benefits of remote work.

In December, Treasury Board President Mona Fortier announced that public service workers will spend two to three days per week in the office starting in January, to be fully implemented by April. However, PSAC criticized the move and demanded a halt to the plan. Now, the union wants the ability to negotiate remote work written into its collective agreement.

Advocates for a return to office cite benefits like improved productivity and collaboration.

2:53 Labour lawyers don’t think federal government will win fight over remote work

Patrick Groom, a labour law specialist and partner with McMillan LLP, has represented several employers in his practice. He said while it depends on the workplace, some employers feel a collaborative environment can only result from people being physically present in the office.

“We have is a group of employers, and certainly a lot of my clients who have expressed a desire to get everybody back in the office full-time again like the pre-pandemic days,” he said.

“The big reason for that being partially productivity, also collegiality, teamwork, and really the focus that comes with having people physically in the workplace throughout the work day.”

However, other experts have defended the benefits of a hybrid work environment. Alexandra Samuel, a digital workplace expert, said some workers might have an easier time focusing from home.

“We know that there’s a certain magic that can happen when we’re in the office together, but we also know that the office is very distracting,” she said.

Samuel also said the way the federal government implemented its return-to-office plans was flawed.

“Where I think this policy went astray and what has engendered that blowback is the idea that you can impose this minimum across the board, regardless of the department, regardless of the role and regardless of the individual.”

Others have brought up the broader economic impact of remote work.

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Christina Santini, an analyst with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said having more workers return to office can help strengthen downtown businesses, which have yet to fully recover from the pandemic. She said of its 97,000 members, less than 54 per cent are back to pre-pandemic revenue and are averaging $104,000 in debt.

“Downtown cores have suffered for the past two years through COVID, and they’re not back to pre-pandemic revenues,” she said. “So, bringing office workers back to downtown cores is going to help the small business owners get back to normal, succeed and thrive again.

One thing both Groom and Santini mentioned is that the results of any possible agreement between PSAC and the federal government could set trends for the private sector as well.

“The government often sends a signal to other sectors to do the same,” Santini said. “It is not only government employees that will no longer be going to downtown cores, it will be employees of many industries no longer going to downtown cores.”

“Both private and public sector employers are looking to this to set the standard, and certainly unions are as well,” Groom said. “I think (these talks) are going to set the tone for collective bargaining negotiations across the country.”

— With files from Touria Izri