Businesses call out government offices for return-to-work failures
Businesses across Canada have penned an open letter to Treasury Board President Mona Fortier urging her to "lead the way" in bringing employees back to the workplace. The open letter was signed by 32 business associations, including the executives of the Business Council of Canada, Canadian Federation of Independent Business, and the Retail Council of Canada, among others.
In the letter, published by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, the associations called out some government offices that are "significantly lagging" in the implementation of return-to-office schemes for public sector employees.
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The businesses pointed out that the Ottawa/Gatineau region, which has a high concentration of federal government employees, has the lowest return-to-office rate among government capitals in the country.
"We call upon all governments that have not implemented plans to bring their employees back to do so as rapidly as possible," the letter said. "As businesses in these communities assess their long-term viability given the pandemic's damaging effects on downtown centres, restoring normal economic activity requires the federal government to act now."
The businesses also expressed their concerns on the "deteriorating ability of the government to engage effectively with stakeholders," stressing that virtual connectivity is not a substitute for in-person consultation and collaboration.
"Implementing a federal government return-to-office strategy will facilitate much more efficient and productive engagement both within the government itself and with the general public. It will also help to address the many deficiencies in public services that are seriously affecting both the business community and individual Canadians," said the letter.
"We strongly urge the federal government to lead the way to a return to normal that will both foster economic growth and ensure that all Canadians receive the quality of public services that they have a right to expect. Along with our member businesses, we will be pleased to work with you in making this process a success."
In response, Fortier acknowledged that in-person workplaces are important to "cohesive, collaborative, and high-performing organizations."
"As we return to some semblance of normalcy, the public service is embracing the opportunity to modernize our way of working and best provide services to Canadians. Shifting the country's largest workforce will take time," Fortier said as quoted by CTV News.
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Previously, the Treasury Board president spoke to the news outlet and revealed that "hybrid work is here to stay" for public sector employees, while plans to convert their previous offices into housing are being considered.