Memo to bosses: don't bring workers back to offices too quickly or risk a revolt

A woman can be seen working in front of a computer. (Branislav Nenin/Shutterstock)

MONTREAL — While Quebec's rules requiring many people to work from home could be coming to an end in a matter of months, one lawyer believes employers should think twice before having them come back to the office.

The re-opening plan presented by Premier Francois Legault calls for the resumption of face-to-face work conditions towards the end of August, assuming vaccine coverage continues to increase and the epidemiological situation continues to improve. However, if all goes according to plan, the majority of Quebec's regions will be reclassified as yellow zones on June 14, which would make teleworking optional for administrative and clerical tasks.

Under that reclassification, employers would no longer be bound by a ministerial decree adopted in December, even if remote work remains recommended, according to Marianna Plamondon, a lawyer with Langlois Avocats.

“There are as many employers who would like to have their employees back as there are employees who would like to be able to leave the house and go to the office,” Health Minister Christian Dube said at a press conference on Tuesday.

While the province is on track to meet its goal of having 75 per cent of adults vaccinated with at least one dose by June 24, Plamondon said caution will still be required.

According to data from Quebec's National Institute of Public Health, just over half of the province's active COVID-19 outbreaks are associated with workplaces.

“A diligent employer should think about the risk he's exposing his employees to,” said Plamondon.

She added that it will become necessary to identify the employees whose presence would be a priority due to the nature of their tasks.

“Positions that are productive via telecommuting, employers should wait before calling those people back to minimize the risk of outbreaks.”

Plamondon noted that workers “are more mobile than ever” and an employer who is too rigid risks finding themselves facing a labour shortage.

“At the moment, relations with employees are fragile because working for one employer or another doesn't change much when you're at home.”

Several surveys have shown that many employees are reluctant to return to the office and have grown accustomed to working from home.

“The employees have said it well: not everyone has a taste for returning to life like before, with traffic and stress,” said Plamondon. Bosses would therefore be well-advised to proceed with caution and keep their finger on employees' pulses.

'This is where employers must gauge what is optimal, between leaving a certain flexibility so they keep a quality of life associated with teleworking, but at the same time, teamwork is still possible.”

-- this report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 22, 2021.