The Canadian Association of Professional Employees (CAPE) welcomes the auditor general’s report on the federal government’s delays in reducing its real estate portfolio. These findings support CAPE’s call for flexible remote work rights for federal public sector employees, which is a necessary precondition for federal office buildings to be transformed into much-needed affordable housing.
“This should be a slam-dunk issue for the government – one that builds a stronger public sector while building much-needed affordable housing,” said CAPE President Nathan Prier. “Instead, by forcing federal workers back into overcrowded offices just to take Zoom calls, our government is not only undermining the productivity of its employees but wasting billions of taxpayer dollars every year and missing critical opportunities to solve the housing crisis.”
The three-day return-to-office mandate that began in 2024 forced public sector employees into overcrowded offices that undermined the documented productivity gains enabled by remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Many departments were unable to implement the mandate at all due to a lack of space.
CAPE will continue to push the government to meet its commitments on reducing federal office space, increasing affordable housing, and increasing productivity. Flexible remote work rights for federal workers is a critical missing piece in achieving all these goals.
