Federal organizations to spend more than $18 million on return-to-office

Federal government departments and agencies are preparing to allocate over $18 million to encourage employees to return to the office more frequently. This decision followed the implementation of a new work schedule in July, which mandated federal public servants to be present in the office for four days each week. When NDP MP Heather McPherson inquired about the matter, 13 federal organizations disclosed that they plan to invest a combined total of $18,720,150 to reconfigure existing office spaces or acquire new ones to meet the increased demand for in-person work.

The Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada department allocated nearly $5.7 million for this purpose, while Fisheries and Oceans Canada allocated $4.2 million. The Canada Border Services Agency estimated its expenses at $3.9 million, and the Correctional Service of Canada plans to spend $1.37 million. Not all organizations disclosed specific costs associated with the return-to-office initiative, with some stating they had no associated costs or were still assessing the same.

Several questions were referred to Public Services and Procurement Canada, which mentioned that they were still evaluating the costs of this initiative. This report, originally published by The Canadian Press on September 23, 2026, provides a factual account of the situation without any speculation or personal commentary.