"Public servants remain a key part of the Ottawa economy, and hybrid working arrangements have taken a toll on downtown businesses. The situation has been made worse after cuts to staffing levels that mean there are fewer potential customers. Remote work option ending for tens of thousands of public, private sector workers in 2026 Many of those business owners hoping workers will be back in the office days a weeks are taking note of remarks that Prime Minister Mark Carney - an Ottawa MP - made to the city's board of trade at a forum last month attended by about 1,100 people."
""We will come to a sharper view on it over the course of the next several weeks," Mr. Carney said."
"He said workers will be required to be in the office more frequently, depending on their level of seniority, their role and what he described as "capacity" - referring to the reduced amount of office space after cutbacks during the pandemic."
""Before, you had the benefit of thousands of workers working in the area [every day]," Mr. Nicastro said."
Pat Nicastro's fine-food shop in Ottawa's Byward Market relied heavily on federal public servants for lunch customers for about 30 years. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted many public servants to remote or hybrid schedules, leaving most in the office only three days a week. Hybrid arrangements and staffing cuts have reduced the pool of potential downtown customers and lowered office space capacity after pandemic cutbacks. Prime Minister Mark Carney said the government will engage with public-sector unions and will require more frequent in-office presence based on seniority, role and capacity. Unions have pushed back, and the Public Service Alliance of Canada national president issued a statement.
Read at The Globe and Mail
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