The introduction of robots into federal government offices has raised concerns among some civil servants.
The Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) confirmed in an email to The Epoch Times that they are using robot devices to “test air quality, environmental noise, lighting, temperature, space occupancy rate, and space utilization rate” in their office locations.
However, Bruce Roy, the president of the Government Services Union, expressed that the situation is not as straightforward as it seems.
In a phone interview with The Epoch Times, Roy stated that employees are worried about the robots, feeling like they are being monitored. “If I go to the restroom and come back two minutes later, will the robot say, are you not there all day?” he said. “We feel that the robots are extremely intrusive and aggressive.”
He also questioned the timing of the project, saying, “These things happen a few months before the end of the 3-day office shift policy, which is no coincidence.”
The procurement department stated that civil servants under the hybrid work conditions are required to work on-site for at least three days per week by September 9. The aim is to improve the work environment, and they will not monitor or track employees.
The government mentioned that these robots will be working “short-term” in three different offices.
Roy mentioned that a trial was conducted on these robots in March this year, but he did not see any data from the trial. He also believes that the project will be fully implemented in August.
“What we want to emphasize is that what our members are doing is exactly what we were told the robots are supposed to do, and they are doing it very well, so the workplace simply does not need such tools.”