As companies announce return to in-person activities, online users are questioning whether Canadian offices can accommodate employees and post-pandemic work dynamics, and one HR expert says they have much to rethink. 

Last month, Scotiabank sent out a memo to employees announcing a mandatory return to office (RTO), with workers expected to work at least four times a week on-site, starting September.

Other Canadian companies followed suit, including the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC) resulting in a North America-wide RTO movement, with experts predicting even more corporations to resume in-person work. 

“RBC is a relationship-driven bank, and in-person, human connection is core to our winning culture. As one of the world’s most trusted financial institutions, we have important commitments to our clients and bold goals for the future. We are confident that prioritizing working together in-person is a vital component in setting us up for continued, long-term success,” an RBC spokesperson told Now Toronto on Wednesday.

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But amid the shift to in-person work, many people online are questioning whether these companies are really prepared to accommodate in-person work. 

“At a recent job…I either took calls at my desk and got dirty looks from coworkers in [the] office, or took it in the kitchen area, where I got complaints from my coworkers on the line about background noise. I like in person work…But sending people [to the] office to make Zoom calls is going to chase away anyone who gives a sh**, it’s deeply unserious behaviour,” one Reddit user wrote. 

“Our Toronto office hasn’t been asked to RTO precisely because of this issue. There was barely enough space in our office before Covid and there certainly isn’t now,” another user said. 

“I had a contract at one of these return to work places. No one had assigned positions… The amount of productivity lost trying to find a spot or getting a new spot after I went to the bathroom… Return to office is such a joke,” a different user chimed in. 

Meanwhile, some people are questioning the purpose of returning to in-person activities, especially for jobs that are mostly done online. 

“Other than micro-management and toxic management, there isn’t a goddamn good reason for bringing people who CAN work from home back to the office,” one Redditor said. 

“My current company wants us in the office 3 days a week so we can collaborate with coworkers. They converted all of the meeting rooms to offices so we just go in, sit at our desks and have Teams meetings. I love spending time in traffic and money on gas so I can do the same thing I can do at my desk at home,” another user added. 

“I do think there’s something to be said for being in an office environment rather than at home every day, but at the same time if I come into the office and I’m just sitting on Zoom calls all day I would be pissed. That’s poor management,” a different person said. 

MODERN WORK DYNAMICS

Although many corporations might be pushing for RTO in hopes of boosting productivity and collaboration, Executive Partner at Salopek HR Vanessa Salopek warns that they also have to put in the work to adapt. 

The HR expert explains that work dynamics have seen some significant changes since the pandemic, with less face-to-face discussions, and more video conferences and online meetings.

But when COVID took over, many offices decided to cut costs and reduce office spaces, and now many are simply not properly equipped to accommodate the change. 

“We are seeing teams compete for the one or two boardrooms available with decent acoustics, while others are taking Zoom calls from stairwells, cars, or closets because there’s no privacy anywhere. These kinds of experiences make people question the value of coming into the office at all,” she said. 

With the recent changes, Salopek says that instead of just passing down a mandate, companies that wish to RTO have to develop a clear path to do so. 

She says the best way forward is to develop a detailed plan, which includes communicating effectively with employees on what they are expected to do and why, updating in-office expectations and policies, and assessing which employees in fact need to work at the office. 

This plan should also include a reimagination of the physical office space, with companies making sure that they have enough desks available for employees and adequate spaces for online calls and hybrid meetings. 

“Use that moment to reset and reinforce values, create new norms, and rebuild cohesion. Re-onboard teams who have been remote and design intentional in-office experience that foster connection, trust and engagement to ensure making coming into the office worth it,” she added. 

Salopek also says that companies need to be more mindful not only of the space they offer but the actual work dynamics, as post-pandemic employees may look at work in a different way.

The HR expert advises that it is important for companies to adapt and be flexible to workers’ needs, as their lives have changed and factors such as caregiving responsibilities, commuting and mental health now have a different weight than they did a few years ago. 

“Before the pandemic, being ‘at work’ meant being in a workplace. Now, employees view work more as what they do, not where they do it. People are more protective of their time and energy. They’re questioning long commutes, reevaluating priorities, and looking for employers who offer trust, flexibility, and purpose,” she said. 

The expert also warns that companies who fail to adapt might instead drive their employees away, as they look for working conditions that align with their lifestyle and productivity. 

“When you bring people back into a space that doesn’t reflect that, whether it’s outdated tech or micromanagement culture, it feels like a step backwards. That’s why we say in-person environments have to earn the commute now. They need to offer something people can’t get at home.”