Five-Day Office Week Back At City Hall
The purpose of this memo is to inform the Mayor and Members of Council that the City of Ottawa will return to five days in the office as the new standard for all City employees effective January 1, 2026.
The City’s top priority is delivering excellent service to residents—which employees have continued to do throughout a time of significant change. Over 85 per cent of City staff are onsite or in the workplace each day to provide service to residents.
The Senior Leadership Team regularly reviews our hybrid work approach against industry best practices and comparable public sector employers to ensure our workforce policies continue to evolve and align with any changes to broader standards.
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This is a release from the City of Ottawa.
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The collective return to a five-day office standard for all City employees will help strengthen the organizational culture and build confidence and trust in the City’s ability to continue to provide responsive and reliable service to the public.
Any alternative work arrangements will continue to be made in consultation between managers and their employees based on role, operational needs and available space.
The City of Ottawa values in-person work as the foundation for collaboration, organizational culture and excellent service delivery. A return to the five-day office standard allows the City to remain aligned with other public sector employees while supporting the overall wellness and success of the organization.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out to me directly. Sincerely,
Wendy Stephanson
City Manager
c.c.: Senior Leadership Team
Extended Senior Leadership Team
Nathalie Gougeon, Auditor General
Sonia Bebbington, CEO, Ottawa Public Library Dr. Trevor Arnason, MOH, Ottawa Public Health Chief Stubbs, Ottawa Police Service
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– The Bulldog – News Feed Enter 
Now I hope we will get less of: “We are currently experiencing high e-mail volume and responses may be longer than usual.”
The current 2 week delay to START the process to answer a simple question is beyond reasonable. (3-4 weeks to actually get the answer). It can only get better if everyone is in the office and collaborating.
Dear City Manager: will you be terminating free or subsidized employee / City Council parking and requiring councillors and city employees use public transit to get to their jobs?
Being “in the office” five days a week does not necessarily equate to “working” and actually accomplishing what should be done in five days.Many do so but some do not.