The Ontario Nurses’ Association (ONA), the union representing more than 4,200 registered nurses and health-care professionals working at Ontario Health atHome across the province, stands united with our union allies in strongly opposing the Ontario government’s recent announcement mandating a full-time return to the office for all Ontario Public Service employees by January 5, 2026.

This decision was made with no meaningful consultation with workers or their representatives. It disregards the proven success of hybrid work models. For years, ONA members have delivered exceptional public services under flexible arrangements that support productivity, staff retention, and employee well-being.

The government’s unilateral approach:

• Ignores operational realities: Many workplaces lack the physical capacity to accommodate all staff on-site, following years of office space reductions and restructuring.
• Creates unnecessary costs: Expanding office space to meet this directive will likely lead to significant taxpayer expense, delays, and mismanagement.
• Disregards worker needs: Hybrid work has enabled employees to balance professional and personal responsibilities, particularly for those with caregiving duties, disabilities, or long commutes at a time of staffing shortages throughout health care.

The timing of this decision could not be worse. It comes as Bill 135, the Convenient Care Act, moves forward—legislation that will amalgamate all 14 Ontario Health atHome agencies into a single organization. This massive restructuring, also proceeding with no consultation with front-line workers, threatens to further fracture the home care sector, leaving workers and the people who rely on their services with even less support.

ONA members are highly skilled health-care professionals who have extensive front-line experience. They must be part of any decision impacting their work.

ONA calls on the government to immediately halt this return-to-office plan and engage in meaningful dialogue with unions and worker representatives to develop a modern, evidence-based workplace strategy that benefits both employees and the people of Ontario.

We stand firm: a one-size-fits-all approach does not serve Ontarians. Collaboration does.

ONA is the union representing more than 68,000 registered nurses and health-care professionals, as well as 18,000 nursing student affiliates, providing care in hospitals, long-term care facilities, public health, the community, clinics and industry.

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