Return to office mandate for federal workers: Ontario employment lawyer discusses on Global News

Interview Summary

After a return to office mandate was announced by the federal government, unions have warned that the requests will be met with resistance. Workers have argued they were not given a warning about this imposed change. Do employees have the ability to deny employer requests to return to the workplace? Are employers obligated to uphold current hybrid working conditions?

Travis Carpenter, an Ontario employment lawyer and Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, offered insight into the new mandate regarding federal employees’ return to the office with Global News’ Kyle Benning.

Interview Notes

• Valid case for unions: Carpenter stated that the unions could have a case against the government, as they bargained in bad faith. “The strike ended on the pretense that they were going to consider hybrid working arrangements on an individual basis rather than a group basis,” said Carpenter.

Related Resources

For further insights and discussions related to return-to-office mandates, explore the following resources:

• RBC employees required to work in office at least 3 times a week
• Return to office in Ontario: Employee rights
• Amazon CEO to staff: Follow return-to-office plan or look for a new job