North Grenville mayor ‘not letting up’ on coworking proposal as public servants protest RTO mandate

Sarah MacFarlane

September 5, 2024

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As public sector unions gathered in downtown Ottawa Thursday to protest the federal government’s three-day-a-week return-to-office mandate, the mayor of North Grenville says she’s “not letting up” on her plan to set up a coworking space for public servants in Kemptville, south of Ottawa. Members of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) and other public sector unions rallied over lunchtime Thursday at the corner of Laurier Avenue and Bank Street. According to a news release, PIPSC president Jenn Carr challenged the most recent RTO mandate, arguing “PIPSC represents some of the most data-driven professionals in Canada. So when the government makes a sweeping decision like this without solid data to back it up, we have to ask: what's really driving this?” In an announcement in May, the Treasury Board Secretariat said public servants in the core public administration who are eligible for a hybrid work arrangement would be required to work on-site a minimum of three days per week. The new directive takes effect by Sept. 9, 2024. Previously, public servants were required to be in the office a minimum of two to three days a week, or 40 to 60 per cent of the time. Data from PIPSC reveals significant concerns about the mandate's impact, the news release said, particularly when it comes to equity and inclusion. "The government claims to care about growing a diverse workforce," continued Carr. "But our recent survey shows this mandate will hit our most vulnerable members the hardest." The survey highlighted that a majority of women worry about balancing work and personal responsibilities under the new policy. Persons with disabilities report being more than twice as likely to struggle with managing accommodations. Additionally, a substantial portion of LGBTQ2S+ and racialized members indicate they're likely to consider leaving their jobs over this mandate. Looking at these numbers, Carr expressed concern about the impact of this mandate on the future of the public service. "This ill-informed, one-size rejection of presence with purpose will limit our ability to continue to attract and retain the best and brightest from coast to coast to coast, once again." South of the city, Mayor Nancy Peckford of North Grenville has been advocating for an official coworking space for public servants at the Kemptville Campus, which formerly housed the Kemptville College. Peckford says members of her community have expressed concern over returning to a long commute to downtown Ottawa after years of working remotely. The solution, she says, could lie in creating a formal work space closer to home. The Kemptville Campus is a 630-acre property that currently houses a community centre and multi-use facility. The campus serves as headquarters for many local organizations, including minor sports teams, the North Grenville Historical Society, Habitat for Humanity and local businesses. However, Peckford has said the campus and its 17 main buildings and additional facilities are largely underutilized. There is existing office space on the property and substantial parking, as well as reliable internet connectivity and “underutilized buildings.” Peckford said Thursday that while a proposal has been submitted to the Treasury Board, there has “not been an invitation for more substantive dialogue.” However, as public servants in her community gear up for the commute into Ottawa, Peckford said she will continue to “position the Kemptville Campus as an excellent opportunity.” “There’s significant concern about the commute, which we think in a lot of respects has gotten worse. There’s concern about sufficient office space when they make their way to those downtown places,” said Peckford. “Our community hears significant concerns over the practicalities of going back into an office like that.” With more time per day dedicated to commuting, Peckford said some residents are also concerned that their involvement within the community will decrease. “People are having to rethink their commitments because they’re not confident with a very long commute at the end of the day that they’ll be able to keep it going,” she explained. “And, to be clear, we’re not talking about paid working time; we’re talking about off-working time, but the challenges around the commute make the time spent so much more than it used to be.” The impact on the local economy is another part of the equation, she explained. Kemptville, one of the central towns in North Grenville, has seen a boom among hair salons, coffee shops, retail and professional services since residents have been working closer to home, she said. Even businesses like private health clinics that offer services such as massage and physiotherapy have raised concerns, Peckford added. When working in the city, lunchtime appointments are often booked at nearby clinics, but since people have been working from home, they have been turning to local clinics. “It remains evident that the businesses in the area are watching this situation very closely,” Peckford said. Public servants who live outside of Kemptville are also interested in the space, she added, with workers in places like Barrhaven and Kanata saying that they’d prefer to commute out of the city rather than into it. So for now, she said she’s continuing to advocate for the coworking space, and will “keep pushing.” “We are very determined to keep at it and really highlight why we think it represents a really neat opportunity for public service employees and the Treasury Board. “So, we're not going to let it go, because we're really convinced it's an extremely suitable location for coworking.”