‘Easy for people to say’: Doubts raised over remote workers’ resolve

A new survey shows most Canadians prefer work from home. (Credit: Pexels)

As more companies bring employees back to the office, a new poll shows the majority of Canadians surveyed still favour working from home, and many are willing to push back if asked to return.

The Angus Reid Institute survey, published July 28, found that nearly three-in-five Canadians (59 per cent) would prefer to work either fully remotely (29 per cent) or mostly from home (30 per cent). That preference climbs to 76 per cent among those with previous remote work experience.

Only nine per cent of white-collar workers say they want to work in person full time.

“(They’re going to think) if I’m going to be doing the same thing as I would from home … why am I here? And why did I commute?” said Alex Gallacher, managing director of Engage HR, in a video interview with CTVNews.ca.

The survey also found that just 28 per cent of people currently working from home are willing to return to the office without issue, if asked. One-third say they would comply, but start looking for another job, while 24 per cent say they would likely quit.

Still, not everyone believes workers will actually follow through.

“It’s easy for people to say they will quit,” said Carleton University business professor Linda Duxbury, in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “It’s a lot harder for people to actually quit. The market is not good right now.”

Duxbury also warned that employees working entirely from home may be more vulnerable to future job cuts.

“If your job doesn’t ever benefit from face-to-face or collaborative work … your job is pretty routine and what you’re doing can be done by AI,” she said. “I would caution people with respect to that.”

Mothers and flexibility

The survey also showed that among women aged 35 to 54, those most likely to be raising children, 37 per cent say they’d prefer to work fully from home. Women under 55 were the least likely to support full-time, in-person work.

Psychotherapist and business owner Roxanne Francis says the numbers reflects the reality many working mothers face.

“Women still do a significant portion of the upkeep of the home,” she said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca. “They still do a significant portion of the child rearing, so a lot of women are concerned … they will now have to pay for after-school childcare.”

But Duxbury pushed back on the idea that being home with children during work hours is sustainable.

“All of the research … says you cannot work from home effectively and productively if your children, especially younger children, are there,” she said. “Employers hear that as, ‘you’re spending time on childcare that you should be spending on work.’”

‘They want to be treated like human beings’

According to the Angus Reid poll, 57 per cent of Canadians believe remote workers are as productive or more productive than those in the office. Among people with remote work experience, that number rises to 73 per cent.

But Duxbury said employees’ self-assessments may not tell the whole story.

“Of course they’re gonna say that,” she said, adding that productivity and effectiveness are not always the same — and many employers are pushing return-to-office plans for good reason.

“Employers are not doing this on a whim,” Duxbury said. “They’re not saying, ‘Hey, we’re gonna make you miserable.’ They’re noticing real problems with their organizational culture.”

But productivity isn’t the only factor.

The survey also found that nearly one-third (30 per cent) of people who’ve worked remotely say they’ve struggled with disconnection or loneliness. Young women reported the highest rates of isolation.

“That camaraderie … gets lost when you work from home,” said Francis. “The people who struggle with loneliness should be given the option of going into the office, and those who are just fine … should be given the option of working from home.”

Gallacher noted that some employers are already taking that approach.

“Anybody I’m hearing who’s really happy with their employer, their employer is working with them on their own situation,” he said. “They want to be treated like human beings.”

‘They’re not talking to each other’

One of the most pitched solutions to this complicated situation is hybrid work, but Duxbury said most organizations haven’t put in the effort to define what it actually means.

“It takes a lot of hard work to make this right,” she said. “Right now I’m not seeing the hard work on either side.”

She added that both employers and workers need to stop issuing ultimatums and start negotiating with clarity.

“They’re not talking to each other — they’re talking at each other,” she said. “Everybody thinks they’ve got the moral high ground.”

Gallacher said employees are often open to compromise if companies are transparent about why it matters.

“I think there’s a lot of flexibility for people, but I think they got to see the reason,” he said.

“People are logical and social creatures, and I think … if they can see an organizational win, or a personal win, I think they’re good with it.”

Finding the middle ground

Francis believes remote work can widen the hiring pool and improve employee well-being.

“What you can do as a company becomes so much more significant … it can impact your revenue on a positive level,” she said.

But Duxbury cautioned unequal policies can cause friction in the workplace.

“Some people, who are more valuable, who the employer can’t afford to lose, (are) letting them work at home,” she said. “That’s causing real conflict within their work group.”

Gallacher said trust hinges on job-specific decisions, not blanket mandates.

“As an employer, I think you have to be able to say … ‘I need you here because of X, Y and Z,’ and it better not sound like corporate speak.”

Francis agreed that communication is key.

“What is important to employees is understanding and recognizing that their company, their leaders … actually care.”

With files from CTV News’ Charles Buckley