Too many workers, not enough desks: Feds hit space bottleneck on return-to-office plan

For workers whose building can’t fit them in yet, that gap is, for now, a bit of breathing room. But it likely won’t last — and when it ends, so does any savings from not having to endure the extra commute. Here’s what changed, who’s affected and what that fourth office day could actually cost.

Why some federal workers still can’t get a desk

Federal employees have generally been expected to work in office a minimum of four days a week since July 6, 2026, with executives on-site five days a week since May.

“Given the size and complexity of the federal real estate portfolio, space requirements will continue to evolve,” Mohammad Kamal, director of communications for the Treasury Board president, told Radio-Canada.

The shortfall isn’t evenly spread. Statistics Canada, Global Affairs Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and the Immigration and Refugee Board are still on a three-day-a-week schedule. Statistics Canada expects to have enough space for its National Capital Region staff to hit four days by mid-November, with no date yet set for its Montreal, Sherbrooke, Toronto and Vancouver offices. IRCC is targeting mid-October for its National Capital Region staff. PSPC, meanwhile, is aiming to have 90% of its own employees in office four days a week by January 2027.

What the extra office day could actually cost you

For transit users, the math depends on how you pay. An OC Transpo adult monthly pass costs $138.50 and covers unlimited rides, so a public servant who already holds one won’t pay extra for a fourth day in office. But for anyone paying per ride, adding a fourth commute day adds up — and OC Transpo has said it expects ridership pressure to grow as more federal employees return, while at the same time parking near government buildings gets harder to find.

For example, a driver without a monthly parking pass could face daily downtown Ottawa parking rates that push well into the hundreds of dollars a month if booked by the day rather than the month, with some monthly listings starting near $110 and climbing well past $300 depending on location and demand. Comparing the real per-day cost against a monthly pass, before being formally called in four days a week, is the difference between planning for the change and being surprised by it.

Who’s affected — and who isn’t, yet

The shortfall mostly affects unionized public servants in the National Capital Region, where the bulk of federal office space is situated. Employees in regional offices outside Ottawa-Gatineau, such as Statistics Canada’s Toronto and Vancouver locations, may be waiting even longer, since no timeline has been set for those buildings. Executives, meanwhile, have already been working on-site five days a week since May, so the desk shortage isn’t a factor for them.

That unevenness means two employees in the same department, in different cities, could be budgeting for very different commute costs this fall.