Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown says all city employees will be required to return to the office five days a week starting in January, ending the hybrid arrangements introduced after the pandemic. Brown announced the decision during a radio interview on NEWSTALK 1010, saying the shift was “long overdue” and arguing that productivity had declined under remote work. He added that many municipal employees such as firefighters, police officers and transit workers had already returned to full-time in-person work.
The City of Brampton adopted a work-from-home model in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and later allowed a hybrid option for some employees. Now, with the province mandating a similar return for its public sector workers, Brown says Brampton will align with the government’s policy. “The fact the province is doing this is great. It’ll set the tone,” Brown said, adding that Brampton will follow the provincial timeline for the five-day in-office standard beginning in January.
CUPE Local 831, which represents about 1,200 city workers, is pushing back. Union president Fabio Gazzola said CUPE is committed to advocating for the value of remote work and plans to meet with city officials to discuss alternatives. “Through a joint conversation, we are hopeful that arrangements that maximize the benefits and efficiency of remote work are utilized to improve productivity. We are committed to discussing this matter,” Gazzola said in a statement.
Meanwhile, neighbouring Mississauga is taking a different approach. Mayor Carolyn Parrish posted on social media that her city will continue its hybrid model, allowing employees to work in-office three days per week and remotely for two. Parrish noted that 80 per cent of Mississauga’s staff already choose to work full-time in person, while 20 per cent remain hybrid. “We constantly monitor to ensure excellent service for residents and positive engagement with our employees,” she wrote.
The contrasting decisions highlight a growing divide in municipal approaches to post-pandemic workplace policy, as governments weigh employee flexibility against calls for greater in-person productivity.