The City of Greater Sudbury is scaling back remote work options for its staff by March 2027.
Included in the changes is eliminating the full-time remote work option and redefining part-time remote work allowances to require at least three days in the office per week.
Part-time remote work is currently more flexible, constituting a “wide range” of arrangements, city CAO Shari Lichterman told Sudbury.com. Approximately 100 employees currently work remotely on a full-time basis, she said, and up to 300 have part-time allowances.
In August 2025, then city Corporate Services general manager Kevin Fowke defended continued remote work allowances as “egalitarian.”
“With the modern tools that we have today, I don’t think I agree with the fact you need to be right across the desk from someone five days per week, as the premier put it, to mentor them or train,” he said at the time. “We also think it’s probably retaining some folks who might have remote work opportunities in other organizations and might decide to stay here because it’s a feature for them.”
Since that time, there has been a significant change in city management, and with it, Lichterman said, a “reset on customer service.”
“We felt that the pendulum had swung too far,” she said of remote work options. “Some of the folks who were full-time remote, we were having difficulties getting them into the office.”
Alongside an organizational change that comes with new city managers, she said, “We need to see employees from time to time in order to ensure that change is happening.”
The change in remote work allowances was announced to staff in July and takes effect in March 2027, allowing several months for workers to adjust, Lichterman said.
Most other municipalities, along with the federal and provincial governments, have already lessened their remote work allowances, Lichterman said, adding, “We’re a fairly late adopter on the return to office front.”
Although the city is scaling back remote work opportunities now, there was also a public pushback in late 2022 which culminated in Mayor Paul Lefebvre requesting the CAO revoke the employment contract of the city’s newly hired chief financial officer, who planned to continue residing in Alberta on a full-time basis despite starting her job with the City of Greater Sudbury a month earlier.
“I strongly believe that the successful candidate for this role, because of its importance to our success, should be located in our community, and be part of our community,” Lefebvre said at the time. “They should be here to share experiences with the CAO, myself, council and other staff.”
While some employees will be affected by the city’s impending scaledown of remote work allowances, Lichterman said she doesn’t anticipate a significant turnover of staff as a result, with impacted employees likely those who reside outside of the city.
“Taxpayers are funding payroll in this organization, and for the most part, the employees should be living and working in Sudbury,” she said, adding that having staff reside far from the municipality “disconnects employees from the organization.”
There’s value in seeing people in-person, Lichterman said, adding, “Ultimately, it’s about service delivery and ensuring we’re operating as efficiently as possible.
“A lot of the best ideas on how to improve services come from the front-line staff, so making sure that we’re listening and hearing and enabling those situations where we’re seeing and hearing from all levels of staff in the organization.”
The shift back to in-person work aligns with municipal offices relocating from 200 Brady St. to the upper floors of 199 Larch St. as part of the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square project.
Sudbury.com recently received a tip regarding the city’s shift away from remote work allowances from a city staff member, who expressed concerns about his colleagues taking positions outside of the organization as a result.
The issue is also on the radar of CUPE Local 4705, which represents city employees.
“We have heard from many members who are extremely concerned about the city’s decision to require increased in-person attendance,” president Max Lafontaine said in a written statement provided to Sudbury.com.
“Key concerns include limited parking availability, the potential impact on employee productivity, and the challenge of remaining competitive in recruiting and retaining skilled employees in a changing labour market.
“Our members have made it clear that this issue is important to them, and we expect it will be a topic of discussion during upcoming negotiations.”
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.
