## Notes from 14 April 2026 [[2026-04-13|← Previous note]] ┃ [[2026-04-15|Next note →]] The Canadian federal government's [recent mandate for a four-to-five-day return to the office (RTO)](https://policyoptions.irpp.org/functionary-newsletter/?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8ID2kYdORuud5nTVKGhCUSS9qNdhVfOnRP_ed5DwYDnaOG8S4XgXapOxBl9pU9Cf3_sQsEr8T-T8tEFRSC3z6M7AfcVw&_hsmi=405351564) highlights a fundamental struggle in contemporary public administration: the clash between **presence-based control and results-based management**. While the government previously aimed to modernize through flexible work and a 33% reduction in office space, leadership is now doubling down on physical attendance as a primary lever for "delivery". This move is partly a response to the difficulty of measuring individualized performance in a massive bureaucracy. By prioritizing visibility, the employer is attempting to recalibrate a power balance that they feel swung too far toward employee autonomy during the pandemic, effectively using the office as a tool for institutional discipline and organizational culture. This shift creates a massive HR and operational "desk dilemma" that undermines previous fiscal strategies. To make the RTO mandate work, the government is being forced to reconsider **assigned seating**, acknowledging research that unassigned "hoteling" often [degrades productivity](https://2727coworking.com/articles/hotdesking-vs-assigned-desks-analysis?_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_j4_0twO7_Lzo4qjIZ2WRGfa3Pg2aY75XI09LXZ-zxLCFxa4FdA9QF5GKWB52mwT9ev7kE2bwdatBN6hCfEcfqYcAZ1Q&_hsmi=405351564) due to the daily "scramble" for space. This creates a paradox for HR and Treasury Board: to achieve the perceived collaboration benefits of being in-office, they must sacrifice the billions in real estate savings promised by the "desk-sharing" model.