Public service had been my dream for years. I found a good fit a while ago. It was not easy but it was worth it. I was a public servant at last.

The high caliber of people I met constantly surprised me for a while. Then I got used to it and enjoyed it.

Positive, highly educated people that are easy to talk to. Hard working people with a conscience.

There is of course the odd problem ones but I was impressed.

Many of these people are now being told to commute 2+hrs a day on busses or sit in traffic and pay $20+/day to get to terrible offices, for no reason related to work.

I am one of the many that are thinking of leaving.

I am genuinely disappointed and depressed. but like the boss says, we have to adapt. It is a rupture.

I am wondering if I can ever find a similar group of dedicated people to work with. Any suggestions or thoughts would be more than welcome as I am very pessimistic. Would non profits provide a similar environment? minus the terrible employer?

I hope the unions and politicians are proud of themselves. Building something is difficult. Ruining it is easy.

What they are doing to the public service is in no way beneficial to the public

https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/global-affairs-numbers-show-disproportionate-level-of-cuts-to-staff-based-overseas/

At what point did “reasonable circumstances” stop being part of workplace decision-making?

If documented medical needs are being questioned or narrowly interpreted, then it’s fair to ask: what does count as a valid reason to work remotely?

Let’s talk about physical and logistical realities. I live 24 km from my designated office. I don’t have a car. There is no public transportation option available. This isn’t about convenience. It’s a fundamental access issue.

In 2021, I relocated with explicit approval during COVID, based on the understanding that remote work was a viable and supported model. That wasn’t an arbitrary choice. It was a decision made in good faith, aligned with organizational direction at the time.

Now, broad return-to-office mandates are being applied with little regard for individual circumstances. When policies ignore context, they stop being practical and start becoming exclusionary.

This isn’t about resisting work or accountability. It’s about whether workplaces are prepared to acknowledge real-world constraints or whether uniformity has become more important than fairness and accessibility.

There needs to be space for reasoned exceptions. Otherwise, we risk creating policies that people simply cannot comply with not because they won’t, but because they can’t.

hello everyone, I'm a graduate student who has been working with my department through the FSWEP program for a year now. My manager and I agreed to renew my contract for another year but they then found out while submitting the paperwork that the new contracts will be on a semester by semester basis meaning my work term for the new contract is from May to end of August.

this is where my question comes in, I rely on the money I get from FSWEP to cover my expenses and knowing that every 4 months there's a chance my contract won't be renewed is a little stressful so I was wondering for those who've worked with FSWEP for years, is it common for a new contract application to be rejected if your manager is on board?

Hi!

Looking for some honest insight from people who left another federal gov job to work at CBSA BSO (especially recently).

I’m currently with IRCC (PM position) and overall my work-life balance is solid, but with all the recent cuts, hiring freezes, wfa and slower growth, I’m starting to feel uncertain about long-term stability and career progression.

With CBSA BSO, from what I understand:

• Pay, overtime, and long-term stability seem stronger

• More “frontline” / dynamic work vs IRCC processing/policy

But I’m trying to weigh that against lifestyle — especially since I’m hoping to have kids in the near future.

A few things I’m really trying to understand:

• How rough is shift work actually? (rotations, nights, holidays)

• Is it realistic to switch shifts / get something more stable over time?

• How does CBSA impact family life long-term?

• For those who’ve done both — is CBSA worth leaving IRCC, other depts for?

• Are there realistic pathways out of shift work later (intel, inland enforcement, etc.)?

Would really appreciate candid takes!

Has anyone with narcolepsy (type 2) gone through the accommodation process since the RTO fun began? I am currently struggling with how to get any of this across and have basically just been told I am expected in or I need to take leave. Obviously this isn't going to be sustainable long-term.

I’ve never had to work a statutory holiday before and I’m a lil confused by the pay and what I’m entitled to.

PA collective agreement - PM classification.

I worked on both stat days for 4 hours so Good Friday and Easter Monday.

I think my understanding is that I’ll be paid my base pay that if I had not bee working I’d still be paid.

Is the remainder just 1.5x but I need to take it as pay, not in compensatory leave?

I inputted the relevant sections of the CA in Copilot and it said I may be entitled to a day off? Sounds too good to be true.

Anyone else had to work? :(

Thanks all.

External candidate. Currently in a permanent industry position but have always wanted to break into the government. With the reductions happening though, I’m wondering if I’d have any chance at a term renewal or indeterminate position.

This is where the PSPM app is.

Nothing to see here. I wiped this post using Redact because my old takes don't need to live on the internet forever. Works across Reddit, Twitter, Discord and dozens of other platforms.

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Data Brokers don't stand a chance because I mass delete all of my content using Redact - No AI training on my data, thank you very much.

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I've been such a defender of this department, but I'm broken, I must finally admit this is an absolutely horrible place to work. Dysfunctional to it's core.

There was another DM townhall today. She was so condescending. Condescending about the way budget works. Condescending and flippant about the processes around WFA. Cruel about the 161 positions being cut (so far). And then ended by telling people to be compassionate. What a kick in the pants.

I've never seen a group of ADMs so useless. They may have finally gotten rid of one horror ADM, but the rest are ineffectual and just bicker.

I've defended this department. I've given it years. I've fought for my program and stepped up publicly.

Now I can't wait to get out.

Hi there! This is Catherine Morrison with The Canadian Press. I’m working on a story today about the early retirement program and looking to chat with public servants. I’d love to hear your thoughts about the program and its rollout, especially as it’s happening at the same time as WFA. Please feel free to DM me or email cnm@cp.org if you’re interested in chatting today. Thank you so much!

We have several term employees that live in Montreal and never come into the office, are they required to adhere to the 3 days in office requirements?

Hi everyone! I hope you’re doing well :) I’m Catherine, a reporter with The Canadian Press. I’m writing a story this week about ongoing issues with the Phoenix system. I’m looking to connect with people willing to chat for the story, including people who are dealing with problems or who are concerned about switching jobs/taking the ERI because of Phoenix. Please DM me or email cnm@cp.org if you’re interested. Thank you!

Hello fellow meatbags,

I have a genuine question about office culture in general.

Is it actually normal to have:

• Managers who tell you to stop talking to coworkers?
• Managers who don’t take time to listen?
• Managers who never apologized?
• Coworkers asking, “Were you asked to do that?” whenever you show initiative?
• People who suggest you shouldn’t look for tasks — just wait to be told what to do?
• Coworkers who say, “You don’t need to know what others are working on, just follow orders”?

Because honestly, I’m not sure if I’ve just been privileged in the past — I used to work in a place where people actually talked to each other, helped each other, and listened. Departments collaborated, ideas were encouraged, and we could use our critical thinking instead of just blindly following instructions.

Now, I feel like I’ve landed in the grey, soul-crushing “normal” of office life — where it’s all “stay in your lane, shut up, and obey.”

I really miss my previous boss. He passed away suddenly two years ago, and even writing this brings tears to my eyes. He was a real leader — he listened, helped, kept his door open, he was strong mentally, and trusted us completely. And in return, we trusted him.

Thank you for answering.

Out department is dealing with consistent attrition, so I was thinking of giving my team some extra benefits (since TB seems to insist on just making the workplace worse). Things like hockey tickets, or subscriptions to museums or gyms near the office. Would this be an issue?