Nova Scotia government non-union employees will be required to work in the office full-time on October 15.

The government’s requirement affects approximately 3,500 government employees.

“Our [non-union] employees are a critical component of the structure of government — many have supervisory duties, lead teams, manage complex files and issues and provide support inside government to ensure policy and programs function effectively,” states a government message to employees obtained by CBC.

“Starting Oct. 15, to support a culture of service excellence for Nova Scotians, provincial excluded employees will be generally expected to be in the workplace for the full work week.”

According to Better Dwelling, the policy affects non-union government employees who have never been required to work in the office. The province has allowed its employees to work remotely since 2015 as part of a program known as FlexNS, about five years before the hybrid-work movement skyrocketed globally due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the report notes.

The revised policy has implications for the Nova Scotia office sector, particularly in the capital of Halifax, which is the largest commercial real estate market in the Maritimes

Halifax developers have displayed a desire to convert office spaces to other uses. A number of office-conversion projects are underway.

Halifax office vacancy stood at 13.7% in the second quarter of 2024, down 50 basis points from the same period a year earlier, Colliers reported.

Pictured: Downtown Halifax

Image: Halifax Partnerships