Downtown Ottawa Revitalization Initiatives

[acottawa]

About time.

[kwoldtimer]

Long overdue. One waits to see whether the bureaucracy can recover, or continues to flounder.

[vtecyo]

This seems very badly timed. We're at the start of peak respiratory virus season, and the beginning of winter ...

If they wanted to ease people into this they should have done it months ago, or waited until spring. At the very least - very few people are going to be happy about commuting when the snow really starts to pile up.

Heck, why not have a seasonal office schedule, where people have to do a few days a week in the office most of the year - and only a few times a month in winter?

[YOWetal]

Originally Posted by vtecyo

This seems very badly timed. We're at the start of peak respiratory virus season, and the beginning of winter ...

If they wanted to ease people into this they should have done it months ago, or waited until spring. At the very least - very few people are going to be happy about commuting when the snow really starts to pile up.

Heck, why not have a seasonal office schedule, where people have to do a few days a week in the office most of the year - and only a few times a month in winter?

Yeah weird timing. Walked through Portage the other day and got yelled at for not wearing a mask. I mean if masks are needed having everyone back to work is obviously not the best idea. Such a weird dichotomy. Are all federal buildings still requiring masks?

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

Long overdue. One waits to see whether the bureaucracy can recover, or continues to flounder.

Is this because of WFH? Define flounder?

Originally Posted by acottawa

About time.

For Ottawa or federal public services?

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by YOWetal

For Ottawa or federal public services?

For bureaucrats getting any work done.

Should be good for Ottawa as well.

[J.OT13]

I agree this is weir timing. Getting forced to return to the office in January is not very motivating. Spring or Fall is the best time. Even summer with a lot of people on vacation.

As for masks, I'm assuming Portage was empty when YOWetal was walking through it. If no ones around, the risk of catching or spreading something is very low (unless the building is spitting out legionnaires or is suffering from sick building syndrome, both of which happen more often than they should in the NCR).

[lrt's friend]

Meanwhile everybody else has returned to a normal work pattern, even if it is not quite the same as before the pandemic.

I listen to the news stories about viruses and wonder how we survived before the pandemic. Every year had a virus season.

Many now believe that excessive use of Lysol and masks is preventing our children from building their immune systems, just as past beliefs concerning peanuts has actually increased peanut allergies in children. Avoidance is not a solution.

While more people want to hide from the public, there is also increasing resistance to vaccines, which unlike Lysol and masks, do help build our immune systems.

One of the lessons that we haven't learned very well, is that when we are sick, we should stay home. This is the number one way to avoid spreading viruses.

[SL123]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

Meanwhile everybody else has returned to a normal work pattern, even if it is not quite the same as before the pandemic.

I listen to the news stories about viruses and wonder how we survived before the pandemic. Every year had a virus season. .

Exactly Ive been back at the office 3 days a week mandatory since summer 2021. The whining from the Public servants for 2 days a week after getting 1year and a half extra than most people at home is laughable.

[OTownandDown]

If the public service had followed public health advice, they'd have been working from the office with little restriction for almost a full year now, something everyone else has already done, based on those charts. And they would have been able to swing with the punches of these latest outbreaks and viral loads, just as the rest of us are already doing.

The truth is, working from home is great from a personal standpoint, and it's easy for public servants and their managers to just keep going with their status quo.

Personally, I love my commute to the office on Monday and Friday when the 2-and-3 day-ers are not going in, and getting the public service back in the office is going to —, because OC Transpo — and traffic is going to be really really bad.

[waterloowarrior]

Yep, I've been back in the office since July 2020 other than a couple of lockdown shutdowns (last one ended around June 2021). Mask requirements were lifted at the same time as the general population. Generally we are expected to be in the office, with flexibility for days with appointments or childcare issues, or if you need to focus on a project deadline. No one comes to work sick, but you can work from home if you have a mild illness, but are well enough that you don't want to use a sick day. It's working great for the employer and employees.

[lrt's friend]

The funny thing if we think Work from Home is great, think about the customer. I tried to contact my investment councillor and I was told he was working from home. There was no patch to connect to him, ie I could not call him directly or have my call transferred. I was going to have to wait for a call back. Thankfully, the assistant was able to address my needs, but .........................

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by waterloowarrior

Yep, I've been back in the office since July 2020 other than a couple of lockdown shutdowns (last one ended around June 2021). Mask requirements were lifted at the same time as the general population. Generally we are expected to be in the office, with flexibility for days with appointments or childcare issues, or if you need to focus on a project deadline. No one comes to work sick, but you can work from home if you have a mild illness, but are well enough that you don't want to use a sick day. It's working great for the employer and employees.

The giant federal bureaucracy can't come up with a reasonable solution like this and it gets worse the longer this continues. There seems to be a lack of flexibility.

I thought the PS was to go back to work in September, but I guess nobody could agree on how to do it.

There are always excuses.

[Spoonsy]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The funny thing if we think Work from Home is great, think about the customer. I tried to contact my investment councillor and I was told he was working from home. There was no patch to connect to him, ie I could not call him directly or have my call transferred. I was going to have to wait for a call back. Thankfully, the assistant was able to address my needs, but .........................

how does this personal anecdote apply to the hundreds of thousands of non-customer facing federal employees

[Spoonsy]

i go in a few times a month. i get nothing of value from it. if white collar wants to stay at home forever then who cares. all the finger-wagging "well IVE been back since X" is not convincing

[J.OT13]

I think it depends on the job. Managers should be in x number of days to set an example. Customer service should be in. IT should have a rotating schedule so that there is always someone in the office.

I think there's tremendous value in at least one day a week where an entire team can be in the office together.

I don't think 5 days a week is a reality we can go back to, but 100% from home is not ideal either.

[YOWetal]

I don't know what is most efficient but I do know ordering them back to work to save downtown shouldn't be a federal consideration even if sure Ottawa should pressure them as much as we can. Having a local MP at the helm of the decision should help on that front.

[acottawa]

To the extent that jobs can be done fully remotely (don't interact with the public, don't require participation in offline meetings or events, don't involve the handling of classified documents, don't require specialized equipment, etc), one has to wonder why they can't be done in Bangalore or Manilla.

[Spoonsy]

Originally Posted by acottawa

About time.

Originally Posted by acottawa

For bureaucrats getting any work done.

Should be good for Ottawa as well.

Originally Posted by acottawa

To the extent that jobs can be done fully remotely (don't interact with the public, don't require participation in offline meetings or events, don't involve the handling of classified documents, don't require specialized equipment, etc), one has to wonder why they can't be done in Bangalore or Manilla.

okay so you just straight up have some bizarre vendetta against federal employees. noted

[SL123]

Originally Posted by acottawa

To the extent that jobs can be done fully remotely (don't interact with the public, don't require participation in offline meetings or events, don't involve the handling of classified documents, don't require specialized equipment, etc), one has to wonder why they can't be done in Bangalore or Manilla.

Because the government of Canada who works for Canadian and is financed with canadians taxpayer money should employed people that work, live and pay taxes in Canada not someone who lives in Manilla.

[acottawa]

Originally Posted by SL123

Because the government of Canada who works for Canadian and is financed with canadians taxpayer money should employed people that work, live and pay taxes in Canada not someone who lives in Manilla.

The Federal Government doesn't otherwise have that policy. It procures all sorts of goods and services that originate overseas. Why are bureaucrats sacred? I think taxpayers would prefer the service be done for a much lower cost.