Ottawa City HallVoteTracker

2022–2026 term

City CouncilMeeting 65

Five-Day-a-Week Office Standard and Working from Home

Council was asked to

  1. Council confirm by way of this motion that they have received the City Manager’s clear affirmation that the approach governing return to office is flexible and that the City will continue to allow hybrid work arrangements as appropriate and in accordance with workplace policies and applicable collective agreements as coordinated between employees and their managers considering many factors such as but not limited to productivity, caregiver or other leaves as per contract conditions, and dedicated workspace
  2. this motion does not reflect a position or opinion on any other employer. Council acknowledges that different employers and businesses have unique requirements and objectives that affect the ability to offer hybrid work arrangements
  3. Council officially reiterate its support for the decision-making authority of the City Manager as delegated to her by Council and as set forth in Section 229 of the Municipal Act, 2001 and as confirmed by Council pursuant to Section 3 of the City Manager By-law 2025-68 and the Delegation of Authority By-law 2025-69.
  4. Ottawa City Council also requests that the City Manager encourage senior leadership and managers to maintain, wherever possible and within the policy framework, the current hybrid-working arrangements of employees as they stand toda
Carried

15 for, 10 against

Affects
City-wide
Agenda item
20.5
Motion number
2025-65-11

How each member voted

The recitals

  • the City Manager By-law confirms the City Manager to be the Chief Administrative Officer pursuant to the Municipal Act, 2001, and that the City Manager shall have supervision over, and direction of, the general administration of the City and the officers and employees thereof, and has such other powers commensurate with the role and as described in the Delegation of Authority By-law
  • the Delegation of Authority By-law is clear that the City Manager has the delegated authority to make decisions respecting corporate administrative policies and procedures of the City, including with respect to work arrangements for City staff
  • the Delegation of Authority to the City Manager in matters relating to human resource policy and administration is a standard found across all levels of government in Canada
  • these delegated authorities are designed to ensure expertise, efficiency, and to prevent direct political interference in human resource matters and are a long-standing practice for effective governance
  • past determinations and decisions about the nature of in-office, remote, or hybrid work arrangements, those determinations have been at the discretion of the City Manager having regard to collective agreements, terms and conditions of employment and applicable policies, under the authority delegated to the City Manager under the Municipal Act Section 229 a) and as confirmed by Council pursuant to Section 3 of the City Manager By-law
  • City Council acknowledges and is grateful for the outstanding work of municipal public servants who serve their community
  • the City Manager has confirmed that the City will continue to offer robust alternate work arrangements to accommodate the unique needs of employees in conjunction with operational needs, roles, and available workspaces and consistent with the application of the workplace policies and collective agreements, hybrid work will not be unreasonably denied
  • the City Manager has confirmed she will continue to monitor the situation, consider feedback from Members of Council on this matter and adjust accordingly on a regular basis, with full consideration of providing work-life balance to employees and that hybrid work arrangements will still be available in accordance with workplace polies and applicable collective agreements
  • interfering in an administrative decision from the City Manager would call into question Council’s trust in the administrative decision-making capabilities of the City Manager

Check it yourself

This entry was transcribed from the City Clerk's official minutes. If anything here looks wrong, the minutes are the authority.

Read the official minutes