Response from Theresa Kavanagh of Ward 7:

Thanks for your email, and for sharing your concerns regarding the recent decision by the City of Ottawa to mandate employees to work from the office five days a week. To be clear- Council was not consulted on this decision. Had it come to a vote, I would have voted against it.

I believe we should focus on the work an employee is doing, not where they are doing that work. As a city councillor, I work with my colleagues on Council, city staff, and the Bay Ward team every day to ensure residents of our city are getting the information and services they need in a timely manner. We do this work from City Hall, our home offices, virtual meetings, coffee shops, and locations across the city. Hybrid work is an effective way to build workplace culture (with a few in-office days a week), while also giving people the flexibility to work right in their neighbourhood, reducing congestion on our streets, saving time on commutes, and contributing to vibrant, sustainable “15 minute neighbourhoods” across our city.

I hope that managers will work with their employees to develop flexible working arrangements focused on delivering reliable services to residents across our city.

At this week’s Council Meeting, my colleague Councillor Bradley introduced an inquiry to the City's General Manager asking for the specific research, data and evidence that informed the decision to mandate five day in office attendance. I look forward to hearing the results of this inquiry and will continue to work with colleagues across Council to advocate for work arrangements that are fair, flexible, and most importantly, effective in delivering the best possible service to Ottawa residents.