Your Right to Hybrid Work at the City of Ottawa

CIPP members’ rights to Alternative Work Arrangements (AWA)

CIPP members have had the right to different AWAs in our collective agreements for many years. This includes a compressed or reduced work week, flexible hours and job sharing.

Hybrid work arrangements are an updated version of well-established rights in our collective agreement.

Hybrid agreements expiring this fall

More than 1300 CIPP members currently have hybrid work arrangements that are set to expire this fall. Additionally, there is some uncertainty regarding whether the City of Ottawa intends to change their hybrid work policy.

Earlier this year, Management and Professional Exempt (MPE) staff were required to increase the number of days they work from the office. While the Employer has not announced any unilateral or City-wide change to their current policy as it applies to CIPP members, many members have heard rumours or received instructions that do not align with the City’s current policy.

How to exercise your right to hybrid work

CIPP fought for the right to hybrid work in the last round of bargaining. And we were able to make some improvements to the collective agreement! Currently, we have some of the strongest language on hybrid work in a collective agreement at the City of Ottawa.

So, while this is a difficult and uncertain time for many members, there are improvements in our collective agreement language that can be put to work for you.

In this last round, we added three more important wins. As of April 2024:

• The Employer cannot unreasonably deny an application for a Hybrid Work agreement. Anything beyond an operational requirement – i.e. where your presence is required in the office for operations – could be considered unreasonable grounds for denying an application.
• The Employer must assess each application individually and on its own merit. A one-size-fits-all decision for an entire team or department, where each individual’s specific request and circumstances are not taken into consideration, would be contrary to this language.
• If your agreement is cancelled, you are now entitled to 4 weeks advance notice (as opposed to 2 weeks). 

We also won the right to grieve the employer’s decision to deny an AWA – including hybrid work. We also added language to the collective agreement that requires the employer not to act in an arbitrary or discriminatory manner or in bad faith when making this decision. This language came into effect in 2022.

What do I do if my alternative work arrangement is up for renewal?

If you would like to apply for an AWA or your current agreement is up for renewal, the first step is to engage with your manager. Explain your intentions to your manager and get their response. If they respond positively complete the Employer’s required form.

If your manager raises concerns or is opposed, ask them to explain their position – ideally in writing but, if they do so verbally, take detailed notes. Approach this interaction with a tone that will invite your manager to share information.

• Ask if the decision to deny your request is based on any team or department wide instructions.
• Ask how the decision is tied to operational requirements for your position.

If you disagree with your manager’s understanding of the operational requirements, express your views in a respectful manner with the objective of better understanding the discrepancy between your positions.

Remember, the priority at this stage is to gather information. Take detailed notes of your conversation and ask your manager to put their decision and rationale in writing.

Once you have this information, reach out to our Labour Relations team for their advice and support.

You can contact our Labour Relations team by email at conect@cipp.on.ca for questions about hybrid work, your collective agreement, or any other work-related questions you may have. We are always here to help you.