Ontario’s mandate for government employees to return to office five days a week has kicked in starting Monday, much to the dismay of unions and public service workers. The mandate is a “throwback to an earlier era” and doesn’t make sense given the challenges of a full-time return policy, such as a lack of adequate office space and long commutes, said JP Hornick, president of the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU). WATCH | Ford comments on full-time return to office for government employees: Ford says Ontario is 'working on' office space as public service workers return full-time | Duration 1:08 Tens of thousands of provincial government staff in Ontario are now required back in the office full-time. Premier Doug Ford says the province is in the process of figuring out additional office space as the mandate comes into effect. Home-care workers protest office mandateCanadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) members at Ontario Health atHome organized a provincewide day of action Monday to protest the return-to-office mandate.

Source: CBC News January 05, 2026 23:44 UTC