(Montreal) The end of compulsory telework on February 28 is welcomed by the business community, which has been calling for it, but employers will have to make sure to communicate their intentions to their employees, warn human resources experts.
Posted at 7:16 p.m.
Employees will be able to return to the office from February 28, Prime Minister François Legault announced on Tuesday when he presented his deconfinement plan.
This is “good news” for Quebec companies that obtain the required predictability, believes the president and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec, Karl Blackburn. “This is proof that we are learning and we must continue to learn to live with COVID-19,” he commented in an interview.
Not all companies will necessarily return to the face-to-face or hybrid format from February 28, Mr. Blackburn nuances. The announcement allows different employers the flexibility to make the decision that is best for them, he says.
Communication with employees
Now that the government has unveiled its cards, it is up to employers to “quickly” communicate their intentions to their employees, adds Manon Poirier, director general of the Order of Certified Human Resources Advisors (CRHA). “It’s to come and clarify the rules of the game, to clarify their new policy for the future and to do it sooner rather than later because there are already plenty of people asking questions about whether they will come back and under what conditions on February 28. »
Employers will have to keep in mind the satisfaction of their employees in a context of labor scarcity. The specter of losing employees is “very real,” she warns. “An employee who is not comfortable with his employer’s policy will clearly choose to see what the market offers him. »
Employers must therefore ensure that they listen to their employees, advises Marianne Roberge, partner and practice director, employer brand strategy and family-work balance, of the consulting firm Go RH. “People also have their opinion on this level. We, as an employer, have to position ourselves, but we also have to listen to our employees. What do they want? »
Several employers had already made their intentions known and had even started testing new hybrid formulas before the Omicron wave forced the return of compulsory telework. However, the confinement-déconfinement cycle forces employees to adapt again and can be a source of stress.
“You have to have this human awareness that people can’t turn around so quickly,” said Ms.me Roberge. There is still a transition to be made. If we explain it well, I think we will avoid hasty departures or departures that we would not like to happen. »
Not all employees may be excited to return to the office, but physical presence could prove a long-term workforce retention factor, adds Ms.me Pear tree.
“In the beginning, companies didn’t see too many challenges in terms of the feeling of belonging because people knew each other and it was fine,” she adds. Some data tell us that the level of mobilization of people who have been integrated into the team completely remotely is lower than in the past. »
Good news for downtown
The end of compulsory telework was necessary for the revival of downtown Montreal, said the president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, Michel Leblanc. It was time to give hope to traders “who are still holding out”.
The time has come for Ottawa and Quebec to support merchants and restaurateurs who want to open an establishment downtown in order to accelerate the start-up of their business.
“Anyone who goes to downtown Montreal can see the extent of the damage,” he laments. There are a lot of businesses that are closed. Some are permanent. »