Federal return-to-office mandate risks reversing gains for women workers in Canada
The federal government expanded its return-to-office requirements as of July 6, with many federal employees now expected to work in the office four days per week.
While debates about productivity and office space have dominated discussions, less attention has been paid to the disproportionate impact these policies may have on women workers. The unions have spoken against a one-size-fits-all model of returning to office on the grounds of the cost of additional real estate, the health and safety of the workers, and the lack of evidence to support the government’s arguments that in-person presence contributes to productivity and a stronger team culture.
But what has received less attention, but remains a significant issue, is the uneven impact of the return to office mandate on women employees.
Women make up 57 per cent of the federal workforce, according to the federal public service demographic snapshot. This inclusion and participation of women from across the country in the federal public sector has come to define our values as a democratic country. Yet, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of unpaid caregiving responsibilities.
For many working women, balancing paid employment with unpaid childcare, elder care and household responsibilities remains a daily challenge with many living with chronic exhaustion and stress. The flexibility introduced during the pandemic helped ease some of these pressures and offered a more sustainable work-life balance.
The COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that many jobs could be performed effectively from home. Studies found that remote workers often maintained or increased productivity while benefiting from reduced commuting time. For many women, this flexibility meant less time spent travelling and more time available for caregiving, personal well-being, and family responsibilities.
However, by 2024, many governments and businesses had introduced return-to-office mandates, arguing that in-person attendance would improve collaboration and organizational culture. To build support for their return to office policies, governments often built an anti-worker narrative suggesting workers working from home were not truly productive, ignoring the lessons learned from the pandemic.
This couldn’t be further from the truth. Evidence and studies have suggested that workers who worked from home often worked longer hours, were more productive, and took less sick leave. If anything, they were working too much. Women who worked from home often needed less leave for children’s appointments, or school drop offs and pick-ups.
When the pandemic began, women in the workforce (in non-front facing jobs) for the first time experienced actual work-life balance as they no longer had to spend personal time commuting, feeling the pressure to squeeze evening meal prep with school/daycare pick up. Canadian workers and workers around the world came to a realization that work could be done differently with the hybrid/remote work options opening up new ways of imagining work-life balance.
The inadvertent experiment of the pandemic challenged our set ways of how work got done as many sectors shifted and adapted to working from home. Many workers realized that the reduced commute gave them back their personal time which they used to engage in physical activities, contribute to their communities’ life and live life in new ways, resulting in a happier and less stressed workforce.
Julia (not her real name), is an Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada employee and single parent to two children who also cares for an elderly parent. She says remote work gave her more energy, reduced stress, and made it easier to manage family obligations. With a four-day office requirement looming, Julia worries about returning to long commutes and the work-life pressures she experienced before the pandemic.
Her experience reflects the concerns of many women balancing employment and caregiving duties. She says her weekends are a blur with barely any time to find personal time for herself. She feels that women are being punished for wanting to work and raise the next generation.
Julia’s story reflects that of many working women post-pandemic. Women workers’ contribution to our economy and society is often undervalued as employers who are reverting to full time office attendance are subjecting women to lengthy commutes seriously impacting their health and ability to enjoy life.
The question is not whether employees should work entirely from home. Canada has a diverse workforce, with some able to work from the office while others prefer flexibility. Indeed, for many care-giving women workers, the issue is flexibility. Until Canada has universally accessible childcare, affordable housing near major employment centres, and transportation systems that reduce commuting burdens, rigid attendance requirements risk creating barriers for workers with caregiving responsibilities.
As Canada's largest employer, the federal government should lead by example. Flexible telework arrangements are not simply a workplace perk; they are an important tool for supporting women's full participation in the workforce and building a more inclusive labour market.
Angela Joya is the president of Local 522 of the Canadian Association of Professional Employees representing over 1,000 members at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
The Hill Times