The federal government says it does not track how many senior bureaucrats are still working remotely, even as it plans to tighten return-to-office rules across the public service.

The disclosure came in response to an Order Paper question from Conservative MP Kelly McCauley, who asked how many federal executives classified at the EX level or higher have been allowed to work remotely without minimum in-office requirements since 2023.

In its response, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat said the government does not centrally track in-office attendance, meaning it cannot say how many executives are working entirely from home.

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“The Government does not track in-office presence centrally,” the reply states.

Return-to-office rules tightening

Federal public servants were first required to return to the office in January 2023, two to three days per week.

That requirement was later increased in September 2024 to three days per week for most employees and four days per week for executives.

According to the government’s response, the rules are about to tighten again:

• Executives must work onsite five days per week starting May 4, 2026
• Other federal employees will be required to work onsite four days per week starting July 6, 2026

Exceptions allowed under accommodation rules

Despite those policies, the government acknowledged that some executives may still have approval for reduced or even no in-office presence.

The Treasury Board said those exemptions may arise either through policy exceptions or through the government’s legal duty to accommodate employees under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

The Act identifies 13 prohibited grounds of discrimination, which can require employers to provide reasonable accommodations on a case-by-case basis.

However, the law does not create a right to work from home. Rather, it requires employers to consider reasonable accommodations where necessary.