Work-from-home starting to look more remote as companies get stricter on office time

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TORONTO — It’s not just students who will be commuting more this September.

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After years of experimentation with hybrid work, an increasing number of companies are whittling down days at home to one, or none at all.

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The push comes amid rising economic uncertainty that’s leaving workers with less leverage and companies under pressure to boost productivity. Even as some experts point to a lack of evidence that more days in the office is good for business, corporate leaders are increasingly convinced it is.

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“There are lots of clients who are slowly but surely increasing the in-office requirement,” said Alex Gallacher, managing director of Engage HR.

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Big banks including RBC, Scotiabank and BMO have mandated at least four days in office starting in September, while Canaccord Genuity is reportedly moving to five, mirroring moves earlier this year by U.S. giants Amazon and JPMorgan to also go all-in on the office.

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More moves are likely on the way, with 83 per cent of Canadian CEOs saying they expect to move back to full-time in the office within three years, according to a 2024 KPMG survey, a big jump from the 55 per cent who thought so in 2023.

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Companies have been citing all sorts of benefits to being in the office such as easier collaboration and teamwork, mentorship opportunities and better communication, while Gallacher sees it especially driven by companies trying to get workers on the same page.

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“What’s really driving it is culture,” said Gallacher.

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“This desire to have a culture that is more cohesive, and that effectively supports what the business is trying to do strategically.”

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For customer-oriented services like banks, working together in person can help emphasize the people-oriented business they’re trying to achieve, he said.

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Banks have said the same themselves, with RBC noting it was moving to more days in-office because it’s a “relationship-driven bank” whose in-person, human connection is core to its culture.

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Scotiabank noted the collaboration, engagement and career development benefits, as well as a stronger culture and sense of belonging as part of its reasoning.

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But companywide policies are a fairly blunt way to try and achieve results when location policies actually demand more nuance and specificity, said Linda Duxbury, chancellor’s professor of management at Carleton University’s Sprott School of Business.

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“The decision makers are just making decisions, like the banks, everybody comes back, or the Government of Canada, three days … it seems like very arbitrary decisions as opposed to doing the hard work necessary.”

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While companies aim to boost results, it’s quite difficult to measure productivity or how well a return-to-office mandate, or home time, is working, said Duxbury.