18th floor • 350 Albert street , Ottawa, ON K1R 1A4 CA
The CAPE Gender Justice Caucus is hosting a town hall on February 10th, 2026 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. (EST) to discuss the impact of RTO and WFA on people with caregiving responsibilities and disabilities. There will be a panel of speakers, followed by an open discussion including what’s next.
Our employer is stripping away flexibility, increasing workloads, forcing in-office presence, limiting approvals around workplace accommodations and increasing rigid policies that are imposing hidden costs on the people who keep the government running. This is creating a devastating impact on workers' lives and productivity.
This means:
● More unpaid time spent commuting
● More money spent on transportation, food, and caregiving
● More unpaid emotional and physical labor managing the fallout from RTO and WFA
It is a transfer of costs from employers to workers.
For caregivers, such as parents, people supporting elders, and those caring for disabled family members, the impacts have been strongly felt. When the employers demand rigid in‑person schedules, they are effectively saying that the work of sustaining families and communities does not matter.
People with disabilities are hit especially hard. Flexibility is often the only way to manage energy, pain, mobility barriers, and medical needs along with caregiving responsibilities. Removing it is not neutral, it is a form of structural exclusion.
And now, with the fallout of mass layoffs across the Federal Public Service, the situation is poised to get worse. Fewer workers will be expected to absorb more tasks, more stress, and more unpaid labour.
Flexibility and telework rights should be expanded to protect workers’ health and dignity.
Join us on February 10 to hear from panelists and share your perspective.
