'We know having our teams working together in-person has many benefits'
Scotiabank will require some employees to work onsite four days a week starting in September, according to a report by The Globe and Mail.
This mandate will apply to teams based in Scotiabank offices that have sufficient space to accommodate increased in-person attendance.
Meanwhile, teams facing space constraints will “gradually increase their days in the office as more space becomes available,” the report said.
“We know having our teams working together in-person has many benefits – greater collaboration, higher engagement, more career development opportunities, and a stronger culture and sense of belonging – and we are already seeing the positive impact this is having across the bank as we focus on executing on our strategy,” said Scotiabank spokesperson Clancy Zeifman, as quoted by The Globe and Mail.
“We will continue to build on this impact as we bring our teams on site more often, with the goal of reaching four days onsite across the bank over time.”
Some teams may continue working remotely depending on the nature of their roles, the report added
Scotiabank’s announcement follows a similar move by the Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), which in late May became the first Canadian bank to announce a four-day in-office schedule for employees, according to The Globe and Mail.
RBC’s return-to-office policy will also come into effect in September, according to the report.
In recent months, there has been a growing trend among employers advocating for a return to the office in the name of productivity, collaboration, networking, mentorship, and skills development, according to Paul Boshyk, national chair of McMillan’s Employment & Labour Relations Group and co-chair of the firm’s Executive Compensation Subpractice Group. Predictably, he added, this shift has been met with resistance from some employees.
However, Boshyk warned that the drive for increased onsite presence could carry legal risks.
Earlier this year, several unions representing more than 330,000 workers launched a national campaign promoting remote work as the future of work. And among working mothers, 75% are more satisfied in their career because they now have the flexibility they want, according to a previous Robert Half report.
Still, 83% of Canadian CEOs expect a full return to office within the next few years, according to a previous KPMG report.
