NAPE is suggesting that work-from-home arrangements set up during the pandemic could reduce government costs and allow certain workplaces to run more efficiently.

After being told that government would be bringing its core workers back to the workplace in a gradual manner, members started calling their union office in the last few days indicating that they’ve been told to return to work. NAPE President Jerry Earle says that makes it difficult for some workers who now need to make arrangements for things like child care.

At the peak of pandemic restrictions, up to 50 per cent of core government workers were working from home. Earle says those arrangements have proven successful on a number of levels.

He says that while it has been cost effective and has reduced the square footage of office space needed by government, “for whatever reason, they’ve reversed the course”, bringing unnecessary stress to employees.