Ontario's move to order public servants to work from the office full time is raising questions about its potential impact on the government's ability to recruit and retain skilled staff.

Premier Doug Ford's government has told the 60,000 members of the Ontario Public Service (OPS) they must be at their workplace at least four days a week starting in October and then in the office full time from early January.

The OPS consists of people who work in the ministries and agencies directly controlled by the province. Roughly half of that workforce has had the option to work remotely up to twice a week since at least April 2022, as the COVID-19 pandemic waned and Ontario's return-to-office plan kicked in.

Taking away that option is stirring up a debate about its merits for productivity, emp

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