Ontario civil service work-from-home rules to allow flexibility during FIFA

Ontario’s finance minister says the province will make limited allowances to its fulltime inoffice rule for civil servants during FIFA World Cup match days later this month. Peter Bethlenfalvy said workers may be given flexibility on June 12 and June 26, when matchday traffic and transit disruptions are expected in Toronto. His comments come as unions say the government has given mixed messages about how the policy will work. The province moved Ontario public service employees to a fulltime office requirement earlier this year after a phased return that began in 2022. Union leaders say the policy is too rigid for an urban workplace and have raised concerns about office space, delayed remotework requests and confusing guidance around temporary exemptions.