Ontario’s finance minister has assured that adjustments will be made to the requirement for all government employees to work in the office five days a week during the FIFA World Cup. This decision comes after unions representing these workers criticized the inflexible and convoluted policy. Peter Bethlenfalvy mentioned this during an unrelated press briefing, emphasizing that the province will be flexible with individual employees on game days, specifically June 12 and 26. Bethlenfalvy is taking over the portfolio overseeing the Ontario civil service return-to-office policy from Caroline Mulroney.
Last August, Mulroney announced that Ontario’s public service employees, along with provincial agencies, boards, and commissions, had to increase their attendance to four days per week starting October 20, 2025, and transition to full-time office hours from January 5. This change altered a policy in place since April 2022, requiring government employees to be in the office at least three days per week.
While defending the policy, Bethlenfalvy reiterated that having employees physically present in the office fosters collaboration, problem-solving, and mentorship opportunities. The head of AMAPCEO, representing around 17,000 professional and supervisory employees in the Ontario Public Service, criticized the government’s inconsistent messages regarding how workers could handle FIFA game days.
The president of OPSEU, representing about half of the Ontario Public Service workforce, welcomed the flexibility offered during the FIFA matches but criticized the policy as poorly conceived. Issues such as space constraints and delayed responses to alternative work arrangement requests have been raised by union members. The government insists it has sufficient office space to accommodate returning workers, although concerns persist about privacy and workspace suitability.
Approximately 5,000 AMAPCEO members have sought remote work arrangements, with many requests awaiting responses, most of which have been denied. The union leaders emphasize the importance of flexible work arrangements, especially considering the success of such arrangements during the pandemic.