The Ontario government says it’s requiring its public servants to return to the office full time, with employees going in-person five days a week by January 2026.

Treasury Board President Caroline Mulroney says the province has been monitoring in-workplace standards across the public and private sectors, and the decision “represents the current workforce landscape.”

She says employees who have been going into the office for a minimum of three days a week will increase their attendance to four days a week starting on Oct. 20.

Mulroney says the plan is part of a gradual transition to five days a week in the office by Jan. 5, 2026.

She says more than half of Ontario’s public servants are already required to attend the workplace full time.

The announcement comes after some private sector companies, including several Canadian banks, have announced their own adjustments to hybrid work policies.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 14, 2025.

The Canadian Press