Thousands of Ontario government employees are seeking to avoid having to return to work in the office.

The Globe and Mail reported that more than 9,000 provincial employees want to keep working from home as Premier Doug Ford’s government invokes a return-to-office mandate, including those who have already been granted exemptions and those who are awaiting the results of their applications.

The exemptions are permitted under collective bargaining agreements between unionized government workers and the province.

The government is among many employers who are requiring their employees to return to the office for up to five days per week in the post-pandemic era.

Mark Fieder, head of Avison Young’s Canadian business, said he does not expect the provincial-employee exemptions to have a material effect on the Ontario office sector’s recovery, because the province owns most of the buildings in which it operates.

The RTO movement continues to driving an office market turnaround with financial institutions headquartered in Toronto leading the way.

Pictured: Office buildings in Toronto’s financial core.