The Manitoba government fired the province’s top teacher misconduct commissioner for working remotely from Florida even as official policy explicitly allows remote work under certain conditions.

According to Manitoba’s Public Service Commission, employees are permitted to request flexible work arrangements, including working “from home or an alternate location,” so long as service delivery is not impacted and the arrangement is approved by management.

The policy goes further, encouraging flexibility to support work-life balance and “progressive ways of delivering services,” provided performance expectations are met and public services remain reliable.

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But that flexibility appears to have limits — especially when it comes to politically sensitive roles.

Premier Wab Kinew confirmed the province fired, not accepted the resignation of, the commissioner responsible for overseeing teacher misconduct investigations after learning she had been working from Florida over the winter.

“What was happening was not acceptable and so we cut ties,” Kinew said, emphasizing that someone deciding whether teachers can remain in classrooms “needs to be in Manitoba.”

The role is considered highly sensitive, involving oversight of investigations that directly impact student safety. Officials argued that physical presence in the province is critical for accountability and public trust.

If remote work is acceptable — even encouraged — across the public service, where exactly is the line?

Manitoba’s own policy states arrangements must not “negatively impact” service delivery and must ensure services are provided “fairly, reliably and competently.”

The province has since launched a review of oversight procedures for senior officials, as Manitobans are left with an uncomfortable takeaway: flexible work may be a feature of modern government but accountability still depends on who’s doing the flexing.