The Toronto Star Interview - ‘Tensions are definitely increasing:’ How forcing teams back to the office could backfire

This article was originally published for The Toronto Star.

Employers need to remain flexible with their back-to-the-office demands or they risk losing employees, HR experts say

Amanda felt she had no choice but to quit her job last spring when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness at the same she was asked to return to the office when COVID-19 cases were spiking.

The Winnipeg-based non-profit where she worked for seven years had lifted its mandatory mask requirements and Amanda, not her real name, had been diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome. She feared being left bed ridden for weeks or even months if she caught COVID-19.

Nonetheless, when her workplace asked employees to come in at least twice a week, she tried it for brief period of time.

“It was extremely stressful and I was constantly worrying about my health,” she said. “I was really disappointed. I know there were other people who also felt unsafe going maskless.”

Despite repeatedly raising her concerns to her supervisor, nothing changed. So she found another job that allowed her to work remotely full-time.

As the government eases pandemic restrictions, employers are expecting workers to return to the office. But human resource experts are warning companies to remain flexible with their back-to-the-office demands or they risk losing employees.

Employers “need to recognize people are concerned about coming back. They may be immunocompromised, or they may have immunocompromised people at home. They have very real reasons for not wanting to come back to work, so they need to respect those concerns,” said Janet Candido, a human resources specialist and owner of Candido Consulting Group, which provides HR services to 125 organizations.

“Tensions are definitely increasing between employees and employers,” Candido said.

But she urges employers to be more flexible. Unemployment is low and recruiting new talent could be difficult.

“Both sides are become very entrenched in their positions and raising tension. Employers are finding it very hard to hire at all levels,” Candido said.

To ease any brewing conflict, Candido advises employers to be compassionate and understanding of their employees concerns. She suggests setting up mental health supports and making masks mandatory in the office at the very least.

The number of job vacancies in Canada has reached a record high of nearly one million, while the unemployment rate remains low, Statistics Canada reported.

The combination could make employees less hesitant to leave companies that implement strict back-to-work policies or that fail to address health concerns.

As companies come under pressure to offer higher compensation to staff and to recruit skilled workers, the national average base salary increase for 2023 is projected at 4.2 per cent, according to a recent survey from consulting firm Eckler Ltd.

A recent survey by productivity software company OSlash about the “great disconnect” between bosses and workers found that 60 per cent of employers said they would offer employees a hybrid work schedule if they declined to return to the office.

Only 20 per cent would let employees go back to full time remote working.

Of the 800 work-from-home employees and 200 business leaders surveyed, nearly 80 per cent of remote workers believe their employers would fire them if they said “no” to a return-to-office mandate.

Meanwhile, 78 per cent of employees surveyed said they would be willing to take a pay cut to continue working from home, with Gen Z respondents being the most willing to do so.

“There’s a massive competition for talent for Canadian employers,” said Melissa Nightingale, co-founder of management training firm Raw Signal Group.

Nightingale cautioned that forcing resistant employees to go back to their pre-pandemic lives may drive away talent at a time when companies might be short staffed and when employees have “other opportunities that are often with direct competitors.”

The global shock of the pandemic has made people much more aware that anything can change at any given time, said Shimi Kang, a clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia’s psychiatry department.

“People are rethinking their priorities including how they spend their time and their days. We’re seeing this play out in the ‘Great Resignation’ which has people choosing a better work-life balance,” Kang said.

Mental health concerns are another factor, said Kang.

“There’s increased anxiety, many people are burnt out and need a break and there are these big existential questions. People lost loved ones during the pandemic or fear losing loved ones,” she said.

“All of this makes people rethink how they spend their time. If the workplace isn’t a place of joy and connection and performance, then there definitely would be less interest in staying there.”

CBC Radio Interview: Daily work-life is stressing workers returning to the job in-person

After 2.5 years of working from home, Canadians are preparing to head back to the office to work in person. For many this transition may cause some stress about the day-to-day workplace activities we may no longer be used to. Things like bringing in our lunch, wearing business attire and commuting again. Experts say these are real stresses for many workers.

Follow this link to listen to Janet Candido’s interview with Rubina Ahmed-Haq.

'I'm not coming back!' How to recall reluctant employees – Interview in HRD

This article was originally published by HRD Canada.

In the Great Resignation, should leaders take risks with harsh return policies?

Thinking of recalling your employees to the office? Be warned – there’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach here. That’s according to leading HR consultant Janet Candido. Speaking to HRD, she revealed that HR leaders really need to tread carefully when looking at their remits.

“Everyone’s circumstances are different, and we can’t put them all in the same box,” she explained. “Some have children who may need to stay home from school if they exhibit symptoms; some are around elderly or immunocompromised family members at home.

“Employers, ask yourself – do you really need everyone to work out of the office? If the answer is ‘yes’, do you need them to be in every day? Think about the specific times you need people to be in the office – for instance, for project meetings, staff meetings or brainstorming sessions. Once you determine that, if feasible, perhaps say you need employees to be in the office at these times but are willing to remain flexible the rest of the time when a project meeting, for example, isn’t happening.”

This tug of war between employers insistent on an in-office return and their people who swear they can work just as well (or better) at home has been raging since lockdowns lifted. And HR is stuck firmly, and awkwardly, in the middle. For some, the middle ground of hybrid work has brought some relief – but it’s still not smooth sailing.

“I recommend that employers think beyond what is strictly legal and consider the emotional impact the past two years have had on employees,” added Candido. “While some are eager to return to the office full time, there are others who want a hybrid model or some don’t even want to come in at all. And they all have different reasons – comfort, fear, exhaustion. That’s why it’s a good idea to consider a period of transition that allows employees to ease into working in the office and make it a defined period of time.”

For example, employers may claim they’re are working towards having everyone back in the office as of January 1st. With that in mind, implement a flexible schedule – start with two days, then gradually move to three days, then to four.

There’s also the legalities of office recalls that HR needs to consider with care. Setting aside whether or not it’s a good idea to ‘alienate’ your people by stipulating in-office models, are you actually allowed to demand a full return to work?

“The employer has the right to determine where work will be performed,” stated Stuart Rudner, founder of Rudner Law, told HRD. "The only way that will change is if there's something in the contract (written, verbal or based on past practice) that says, for example, that the employee has the right to work from home - or has the right to choose where they work. Otherwise, even if they’ve worked from home temporarily due to the pandemic, it's still at the employer’s discretion to require a return to the workplace."

But even in the best of circumstances, you’re bound to encounter a couple of employees that are adamant in their fears of the office recall. And when these refusals centre around health concerns, HR needs to sit up and listen. 

“Ask the employee what will make them more comfortable – can you work with that?” explained Candido. “Resist the temptation to become entrenched in your position. When that happens, you are less likely to come to a mutual understanding and may breed resentment. It’s also important to continue the dialogue so employees feel like their concerns are being heard. Lastly, provide access to mental health resources that will help employees overcome their concerns.”

Not like 'the before times': what work could look like for Edmontonians returning to the office

This article was originally published in the Edmonton Journal.

As COVID-19 vaccination numbers ramp up and the Alberta government considers its economic reopening plan, many Edmonton workers returning to the office, in the coming months, may find it has changed since the pandemic.

Janet Candido, founder and principal of human resources firm Candido Consulting Group, said those who have been working from home likely won’t be returning to the same work environment or nine-to-five routine they remember from 14 or 15 months ago.

“I don’t think we’re going to be going back to the office the way we were doing it in the before times,” said Candido.

While the idea of working from home might have been popular in the beginning, it’s left many workers exhausted and disengaged, she said.

A recent survey conducted by Angus Reid for ADP Canada reported that 44 per cent of remote employees are working longer hours, and stress levels are also on the rise, hitting 41 per cent, up from 34 per cent in April 2020.

It also found that 46 per cent of remote workers surveyed were feeling less engaged with their work since the start of the pandemic.

“I did hear from a lot of people, ‘well you know, I don’t have anything else to do so I might as well do the work.’ But it’s gone on for a long time, and they’re a little sick of not having anything else to do. The other problem is that their employer has gotten used to an increased volume of productivity, creating expectations that are not necessarily well received,” said Candido.

Of those who spend an increased amount of time working, paying a kind of “COVID-19 tax,” one in 10 reported working an additional eight hours or more per week.

But many Canadians see the perks of continuing to work virtually, at least for some of the time.

A recent survey from KPMG found that most Canadian workers want to get back to the office, but about three-quarters prefer a “hybrid” model that allows some flexibility to work remotely.

“I think we’re going to see more flexibility and more hybrid situations. Some people really enjoy working remotely and would rather continue to do that, some people really hate it, and then there’s a whole bunch of people that say, ‘well, I’d like to come into the office a few days and work at home a few days,'” Candido said.

She added the challenge will be for employers to figure out how they’re going to accommodate that.

Felicia Mutheardy, Edmonton’s acting chief corporate economist, said in an email the return to work may be industry-dependent, with some in the professional services, finance and insurance industries more likely than others to permanently offer employees the possibility of remote work after the pandemic.

Candido said after months of working in relatively isolated spaces, workers value in-person social interaction and the opportunity for group work even more – which could change the way office space looks.

“Instead of individual offices you might have more communal spaces, you might reduce your footprint. You might even decide to make some changes to how you work together, like capitalizing on the in-person time for innovation and collaboration and, tapping into the collective brain of colleagues,” she said.

She added that she hopes the resources employers have put into mental health supports continue beyond stay-at-home orders.

“Up until now we’ve done little other than just pay lip service to mental health,” said Candido, adding she’s concerned about the number of people who have opted not to take time off, like a vacation, which can lead to burn out.