Public servants back on the grind

Plus: Cutting SO2 emissions, child-care fight heats up, Ford talks cop shop

ABOVE THE FOLD

First in Queen’s Park Observer — OPS OVER 90% VAXXED: The Ontario Public Service is as fully back to normal as can be expected, with the hybrid return-to-work program in full swing and employees recalled to their offices as of November 1.

Since then, most have been operating on a hybrid model where they spend as many as two days per week in the office, and the rest working remotely from home.

OPS is also punching above the provincial Covid vaccination rate. Anecdotally, well over 90 per cent of civil servants are fully vaxxed, which they need to show proof of in order to enter their offices. Otherwise, a negative test is required. While it isn’t clear how many employees are unvaccinated, those who require testing can get a three-month supply free of charge.

There’s been some growing pains while adjusting to the new system, according to top-level civil servants I spoke with. That includes complaints about having to go back to virtually empty offices only to do remote wor…