Federal unions say more housing requests are being denied

Two federal civil service unions say more and more employees are being denied requests for accommodations to work remotely, especially for medical reasons, and are accusing the government of being unfair.

Mark Briere, chairman of the Union of Taxation Employees (UTE), said he was hearing increasing complaints from members who have not been allowed to work from home, including anxious staff who are being forced to work in open-plan offices and others who are suffering from incontinence.

Briere described the current permitting process as “messed up,” saying, “As long as there’s no incident at their office — they let them work from home.”

Sean O’Reilly, president of the Professional Institute of Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), agreed, saying some requests are being rejected for reasons that don’t make sense.

Sancho Angulo, co-chair of an interdepartmental support group for public servants with various forms of neurodiversity such as autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and dyslexia, was hesitant to draw conclusions due to a lack of data, but he said some employees have reported difficulties getting accommodations approved or implemented quickly and satisfactorily.

In a statement to Radio-Canada, he wrote that it is sometimes not a matter of complete refusal, but rather delays in partial implementation, misunderstanding of needs or disagreement about what is appropriate and effective.

Angulo’s group, Infinity Network, was formed in 2023 and has more than 3,700 members working in nearly 100 federal departments and agencies.

increase in requests

Radio-Canada sought data from 10 government departments on the number of accommodation requests made, approved and rejected. Because departments use different methods, it is not possible to confirm the increase in denials.

However, many departments have seen a significant increase in requests.

In Employment and Social Development Canada, requests increased from 50 in 2021 to 7,267 in 2025. Of these, 4,114 requests for medical accommodation were related to teleworking or hybrid work.

Some government departments and agencies, including Health Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency, do not compile data on housing.

federal Guidelines for Managers Specify that “the duty to accommodate is not about employee preferences.”

Instead, the government says it is about eliminating discriminatory barriers based on 13 grounds identified by the Canadian Human Rights Act, such as race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, familial status, disability, genetic characteristics, and a conviction for which the record has been pardoned or suspended.

Treasury Board Secretariat (TBS) spokesperson Rola Salem said that whenever appropriate, managers should have active discussions with employees to find solutions without the need for a formal accommodation request.

But Angulo said there is a lack of consistency in how requests are handled and can vary greatly depending on the team, manager or department.

Some civil servants feel that their supervisors take a considerate and collaborative approach, while others report delays, unclear expectations, repeated requests for medical information and difficulty understanding what support measures are available.

Charles Tremblay Potvin, professor at the Faculty of Law at Université Laval, points out that the criteria for determining whether an accommodation is “reasonable” are somewhat vague.

Tremblay Potvin said decision makers are given considerable latitude to decide what is appropriate given the specifics of each case.

To refuse an accommodation the employer must demonstrate that they are subject to the constraints, he said.

Tremblay Potvin said an employer may be obliged to accommodate a wide range of conditions following a 2000 Supreme Court of Canada decision interpreting the concept of disability to include health conditions such as burnout and addiction.

return to office requirements

Briere said she believes the government has hardened its stance in recent months and appears to be discouraging workers from requesting accommodations.

He said members who were given accommodation before the COVID-19 pandemic are now being denied the same arrangements, even if their health conditions remain the same.

Some are being asked to provide new doctor’s notes and restart the evaluation process, which could last several months, Briere said. He believes that as a result some public servants may be tempted to leave the government or take sick leave.

O’Reilly said some managers are considering the latest return-to-the-office rules when assessing accommodation requests.

This puts additional pressure on public servants who need to return to office Four days each week starting in July Or those who risk losing their jobs as a result of spending cuts, he said.

The Treasury Board Secretariat says there has been no change in government policies, and accommodation requests will continue to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.