It’s a battle that experts say could end a decades-long experiment in flexible, remote work — or spark a sweeping worker revolt.
“We’re seeing some evidence of a broad pushback,” said David Zweig, a professor of organizational behavior and human resource management at the University of Toronto.
“Until this pandemic dies down and goes away, going back to the office will be difficult.”
It is not the first time that white-collar workers have been recalled to wards.
But previous plans to return to the office have been derailed — repeatedly — by new cases and new variants of COVID-19.
This time, however, some companies seem to be drawing a line in the sand.
Instead of voluntary back-to-the-office guidelines, employers mandate office attendance through company policies.
Some major Bay Street banks and law firms appear to be leading the charge, issuing memos requiring a specified number of days per week in the office after the Labor Day weekend.
Law firm Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP said in a statement that on September 6 its offices will move to a hybrid working model where most employees will work three to four days a week in the office, subject to operational requirements and local public health guidance.
The head of Royal Bank of Canada recently said that organizations need to find the right balance between remote and on-site work.
“It’s not just going to happen organically,” RBC chairman and CEO Dave McKay said in a LinkedIn post.  “We’re asking teams across the bank to start meeting in person more often to work and collaborate.”
For many managers, the office is about culture.  It’s a place of collaboration, face-to-face teamwork, and, yes, even cooler office chat.
“We’re hearing from organizations that the value of the creative conflict that happens in the office just can’t be recreated virtually,” said Tara Van Zuiden, Deloitte Canada’s human capital partner and head of workforce transformation in Western Canada.
“They want the connection and collaboration that happens in person.”
For many workers, the preference for working from home is about flexibility and lack of distractions.  They want a better work-life balance and an end to long commutes.
“People want to maintain the autonomy and flexibility they’ve gained around their work schedules during the pandemic,” Zweig said.
Of course, some employees have never worked remotely, and others are clamoring to return to the office five days a week.  Some companies have already moved permanently to a hybrid model – or abandoned office leases and told workers to stay home.
In May 2020, Canadian tech giant Shopify Inc.  turned into a fully remote “digital design” firm – saying in a press release that its location was not its Ottawa headquarters but “Internet, Everywhere.”
The company does most work remotely, and “we occasionally get together in person in very intentional ways to build trust with our teams and connect with our mission.  We call these “bursts,” spokeswoman Jackie Warren said in an email.
But other companies are rolling out new back-to-the-office guidelines this fall, a situation that could lead to a standoff between managers and workers, some observers say.
“If they’re going to call people en masse, every day like they were before, they’re going to get pushback from workers,” said Adam Savaglio, an employment lawyer and partner at Scarfone Hawkins LLP in Hamilton.
“We could see a mass uprising.”
Many workers have claimed that their productivity remained strong or even improved when working from home.  They say their quality of life is better as they spend more time with children or pets or doing activities that improve their mental and physical well-being.
They are crazy about the idea of ​​a rigid work day, long commutes and expensive coffee and lunch in the city center.
“We’re on a collision course,” said Mike Shekhtman, regional director at recruiting service Robert Half.  “Some employers believe that the office is the best place to see a high level of productivity.  They still believe they need to see and hear their teams to feel they are collaborating and innovating.
“But some workers really question that.”
Companies that issue strict back-to-the-office policies this fall could face a wave of workers leaving.
It is a significant threat in a tight labor market with low unemployment.
“Some workers will find that the stricter return-to-work policies won’t work for them and will vote with their feet,” said Deloitte’s Van Zuiden.
However, it’s not just conservation.
Job hunters often look for flexible work arrangements.  Positions with strict office attendance rules are becoming increasingly difficult to fill, experts say.
“The biggest challenge for employers will be that if they force a hard return to the office, employees may feel they’ve been treated unfairly and that they’re losing control,” Zweig said.
“When this happens, people often try to restore a sense of justice and equality by engaging in less work, such as ‘quiet resignation’ or worse.”
This more nuanced form of dissent has different definitions, but at its core it’s about workers setting boundaries and not taking on additional work they’re not paid for.
In other words, they show up when expected, do their assigned tasks, and leave on time.
Meanwhile, one of the potential pitfalls of a full back-to-the-office plan is the upcoming cold and flu season, coupled with another potential wave of COVID-19.
“As you call people back, you can expect productivity to drop as people get sick in the fall,” Savaglio said.  “You are in a confined and confined space that is conducive to the transmission of COVID-19.”
Even if some Canadians are ready to put the pandemic behind them, he said there is a difference between personal life choices and the conditions they are subjected to in the workplace.
“In your personal life, you can choose what you’re comfortable with, you choose the risk of harm to some extent,” Savaglio said.  “When you go into the workplace, you are subject to the terms and conditions of your employer… if workers are not comfortable with health and safety standards, there can be a backlash.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 2, 2022.