Ottawa office workers, whether they're logging in from a Centretown coworking space or dialling in from a federal government cubicle in Gatineau, know the feeling all too well: you've blocked off your morning for a meeting that wraps up in fifteen minutes and could have been a two-sentence email.
A new survey from Léger, commissioned by the Quebec Order of Certified Human Resources Professionals (CRHA), found that nearly two-thirds of Quebecers polled believe their meetings could have been handled through written communication instead. The findings are sparking a broader conversation about workplace efficiency — one that's especially relevant in Ottawa-Gatineau, home to one of the largest concentrations of public sector workers in the country.
The Meeting Culture Problem
For many in the National Capital Region, meeting overload isn't a new phenomenon. Federal government employees, consultants, and nonprofit staff regularly cite packed calendars as a major drain on productivity. The rise of hybrid work has only added fuel to the fire — instead of reducing the number of check-ins, many workplaces doubled down on video calls to compensate for less face time.
The Léger survey highlights a disconnect between how meetings are used and how employees actually want to work. Respondents pointed to unclear agendas, too many participants, and a lack of follow-up as the top culprits behind meeting fatigue.
So What Makes a Meeting Worth Attending?
HR professionals say there are a few golden rules that separate a useful meeting from a calendar-clogging waste of time:
- Have a clear agenda sent in advance — if you can't define the goal of the meeting in one sentence, it probably shouldn't be a meeting.
- Limit attendees — not everyone needs to be in the room (or on the call). Include only those who have a direct role in the decision or discussion.
- Set a hard end time — and stick to it. A 25-minute meeting respects everyone's schedule and forces focus.
- Default to async for updates — status reports, project updates, and announcements are almost always better suited to an email or a shared document.
Ottawa's Hybrid Reality
The federal government's return-to-office push has added a new wrinkle. Many Ottawa public servants now split their week between home and the office, meaning meetings must accommodate both in-person and remote participants — a recipe for longer, more disjointed calls when not managed carefully.
Some local organizations have started experimenting with "no-meeting Fridays" or capping internal meetings to a set number per week. Whether that kind of culture change can take root in large bureaucratic institutions remains to be seen.
For now, Ottawa workers can at least take comfort in knowing they're not alone in feeling like their Tuesday morning stand-up could've been a Slack message.
Source: CBC Ottawa / Léger survey commissioned by the Quebec Order of Certified Human Resources Professionals (CRHA)
