Add your name: sign the petition to keep hybrid work in the Ontario Public Service
We call on the Ontario government to:
- Immediately halt the decision to end hybrid work in January 2026, and the decision to require 4-days a week in office starting October 2025. Commit to meeting with unions representing Ontario Public Service workers, including OPSEU/SEFPO.
- Expand flexible, hybrid work arrangements that foster productivity, inclusion, accessibility and sustainability in the Ontario Public Service.
On August 14, 2025, the Ford government announced their plan to eliminate hybrid work across the entire Ontario Public Service – marking one of the most aggressive rollbacks of remote work in Canada’s public sector. The decision was made without any consultations with unions or workers and is not backed by evidence, representing yet another attack on worker rights at the hands of the Ford government.
Workers in the Ontario Public Service deliver vital services across Ontario in a wide range of roles and workplaces. For years, Ontario Public Service workers who can work on a hybrid basis have done so effectively.
This sudden and arbitrary decision ignores the many well-documented benefits of hybrid work, including:
- Improved morale and work-life balance
- Increased productivity
- Improved recruitment and retention
- Greater accessibility and equity
- Reduced greenhouse gas emissions from commuting
- Reduced costs for workers from additional childcare or eldercare
This is not about resisting change for its own sake – it’s about defending fair, respectful, and effective working conditions for all OPS members.
Doug Ford’s claim that “It’s time to get back to work” is an insult to the tens of thousands of Ontario Public Service workers who have never stopped working – delivering public services every day for the people of Ontario.
Since this decision was made, OPSEU/SEFPO members have raised alarm bells about what this decision will mean.
× Decreased productivity
× Hours more per week spent in long commutes with increased traffic congestion
× Cramped and noisy offices with insufficient workspaces
× Less accessibility for workers with disabilities
× Increased costs for additional after-school childcare
× Less work life balance
Instead of pouring money into costly and arbitrary office mandates, the Ontario government should be making evidence-based decisions that prioritize workers, public services, and the people of Ontario. Join OPSEU/SEFPO members and allies to push back on this decision and keep hybrid work in the Ontario Public Service!
Your petition will be delivered to the Ford government. By taking strategic, coordinated action we show our strength and our solidarity in the fight to protect the rights, working conditions, and the future of the OPS.
Other ways to take action: