Despite a broader push for employers to scrap work-from-home arrangements, including by Premier Doug Ford, the City of Greater Sudbury is allowing remote work to continue.
Though it’s under constant review, city corporate services general manager Kevin Fowke said that remote work has… well, worked, and there’s no reason to eliminate the option.
“There’s a certain optic to it that I think is somewhat maybe politically popular” when it comes to a return to in-person work, Fowke said, describing it as “egalitarian,” since the option of working from home isn’t available to everyone.
“With the modern tools that we have today, I don’t think I agree with the fact you need to be right across the desk from someone five days per week, as the premier put it, to mentor them or train,” he said.
Ford’s push to “return to work” is also a potentially misleading choice in words, he said, since those employees who are working remotely are, in fact, still working.
“It implies they’re not working now, so it’s kind of a funny turn of phrase,” Fowke said.
In early March 2024, approximately 13.5 per cent of city staff maintained work-from-home arrangements, including 115 people working from home full-time and 326 with part-time arrangements.
This number is largely unchanged by the city’s latest count, with 105 full-time work-from-home arrangements and 335 part-time arrangements currently in place.
Although some are classified as “full-time” arrangements, Fowke clarified that any employee can be called into the office at any time, so there’s no truly “full-time” work-from-home situation.
“The employer has the discretion to withdraw any of these agreements if the arrangement doesn’t prove satisfactory, or if the conditions change, or if we just don't think any one, individually, is working or we’re making a change globally,” Fowke said.
Despite this, Fowke added that he’s not aware of any situations where a remote work arrangement had to be withdrawn, with roles’ eligibility for remote work vetted carefully.
Some staff in such departments as the 311 assistance line, finance, planning and IT have been deemed eligible for remote work arrangements, which technology has enabled.
“We also think it’s probably retaining some folks who might have remote work opportunities in other organizations and might decide to stay here because it’s a feature for them,” Fowke said.
“Where it’s a net positive, we’ll continue. There are no plans to change at this point.”
Another complicating factor is the Cultural Hub at Tom Davies Square project, which will see a disruption in office space beginning within the next few weeks, Fowke said, which would make an en masse call to return to Tom Davies Square all the more complicated.
Earlier this month, Ford announced that all Ontario public servants would have to return to the office five days per week beginning in January.
Since then, some Ontario municipalities have followed suit.
Earlier this month, Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown announced his municipality’s return to in-office work full time by next year, calling it “long overdue” and a means of improving productivity.
This week, the CIty of Ottawa announced a similar mandate for a full return to in-person work beginning Jan. 1. This prompted Ford to encourage others to “follow suit,” according to reporting by The Canadian Press.
Tyler Clarke covers city hall and political affairs for Sudbury.com.