(Montreal) Pressed by employer representatives to put an end to the obligation of telework, the Legault government should be able to do so “soon”, indicated Monday the Minister of the Economy, Pierre Fitzgibbon.
Updated yesterday at 1:32 p.m.
But his colleague from Labor and Employment, Jean Boulet, continues to believe that teleworking remains the best organization of work, in the current context. And he intends to rely on the recommendations of Public Health before making a decision in this regard.
The two ministers have been quizzed about a possible return to work there, in two separate press conferences, as employers demand ‘predictability’ and grow impatient.
“Of course we want to work on a famous “schedule” of predictability,” Minister Fitzgibbon said during a press conference on the aerospace strategy on Monday morning. “We talk about it a lot. »
“I anticipate that there may be developments. But, once again, I have to rely on Public Health. They are the ones with the expertise. But I would remind you that teleworking is THE best health organization in the current context, ”commented the Minister of Labor and Employment, Jean Boulet.
“It is clear that I want to allow companies to have face-to-face work as soon as possible and to leave the health management of the rules, which have been established, to the companies. I think we’ll get to that soon,” said Minister Fitzgibbon.
However, his colleague from Labor and Employment even mentioned the idea that sanitary measures are becoming a habit in certain workplaces.
He recalled that the Commission for Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST) had already published “26 or 27 guides” dealing with health measures in areas such as retail, construction or manufacturing companies.
“Companies that think about the health and safety of their workers and workers who think about their own health and safety will integrate, will “permanentize” — if I may use the expression — these measures. And it’s relatively healthy to think that way. So: hand washing, disinfection, distancing, wearing a mask, if required. But each company will have to adapt, will need to have its own health protocol, ”concluded Minister Boulet.
The Minister of Labor always says he favors the hybrid model.
Minister Fitzgibbon agreed that many employees will not necessarily be comfortable returning under the same conditions as before the pandemic and that this could represent a labor retention issue for employers.
Employers want indicators
On the side of the Conseil du patronat du Québec, the president and chief executive officer, Karl Blackburn, asked for more predictability in the redeployment of the economy – a request recently made by the mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante.
“Ideally, it would be to get a date”, but it is difficult to do with a pandemic and its variants, agreed Mr. Blackburn, sitting alongside Minister Boulet.
He therefore hopes that this redeployment is at least “hooked on indicators”, such as the number of hospitalizations or the number of new cases per day or the number of patients in intensive care. This would allow employers to better know what to expect, he believes.