Federal Government Keeps Closer Eye on Who's Actually Showing Up
Ottawa's federal public service is under closer watch than ever when it comes to remote work, and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) is the latest department to confirm it's tracking whether employees are physically in the office.
NRCan joins at least two other federal departments in what officials are calling a move toward "more detailed disaggregated data" — pulled from existing IP login records — to monitor in-office presence across the workforce.
How the Tracking Works
The method isn't new technology — departments are leveraging data they already collect. When public servants log into government networks from their workplace, their IP address signals they're on-site. When they're working from home, that login originates from a residential IP instead.
By analyzing this existing data at a more granular level, NRCan can now build a clearer picture of who's coming in, how often, and potentially which teams or divisions are meeting the government's return-to-office expectations.
The department says this is being done "in accordance with Canada's Privacy Act," though the move is likely to raise eyebrows among public sector unions who have pushed back on aggressive monitoring of their members.
Part of a Broader Federal Push
This development is part of the federal government's ongoing effort to bring public servants back to their desks following years of pandemic-era remote work. The Treasury Board has mandated that most federal employees work in-office at least three days per week, a directive that has faced significant resistance from unions like the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC).
For Ottawa — home to the largest concentration of federal public servants in the country — the return-to-office debate is deeply local. Tens of thousands of federal workers commute into the National Capital Region daily, and their presence (or absence) has real ripple effects on downtown businesses, transit ridership on the OC Transpo network, and the broader urban economy.
Office towers along Slater Street, Albert Street, and throughout Centretown and Gatineau depend on a steady flow of federal workers for everything from lunch crowds to after-work foot traffic. When those workers stay home, local restaurants, cafés, and retailers feel it.
Unions and Privacy Advocates Will Be Watching
While departments insist the IP-based tracking is compliant with privacy law, the practice is almost certain to face scrutiny. Public sector unions have consistently argued that surveillance-style monitoring undermines trust and treats employees like they can't be trusted to do their jobs remotely.
Privacy advocates may also question how long this data is retained, who has access to it, and whether it could eventually be used in performance management decisions — questions the government has not yet answered publicly.
NRCan has not released specifics on how frequently this data will be reviewed or what thresholds, if any, would trigger follow-up action with non-compliant employees.
What's Next
As more departments adopt similar tracking methods, expect the conversation around federal remote work to intensify in Ottawa. With a federal election recently concluded and a new government taking shape, public service workplace policy is likely to remain a live issue throughout 2026.
For now, Ottawa's federal workers should assume their office attendance — or lack thereof — is being logged more carefully than before.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
