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.”

This Ontario CEO told her employees they can work from anywhere. Here's how the policy works - Interview in CTV News

This article was originally published in CTV News.

Co-founder and CEO of Toronto estate management agency Willful, Erin Bury has announced that Willful has given their employees a ‘Work from Anywhere’ policy.

By summer 2021, vaccines were rolling out to the general public and there appeared to be a break between COVID-19 waves, so Bury once again opened her office up to employees by choice – but no one came, she says.

By that time, many employees had moved farther away from the office, or had adjusted to the routine of working from home. Bury says this realization, paired with employee feedback, prompted her and her husband to get rid of the space, take their company of just about 20 employees permanently remote, and implement a ‘Work from Anywhere’ policy.

The policy states employees can work from anywhere, and, as long as they are available from the 'core hours' of 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST, they can put whatever additional hours in they like.

Janet Candido, founder and CEO of Toronto-based human resources consultancy group Candido Consulting, says many companies are opting for a hybrid model right now, where employees work from home some days, and attend in-person others.

“Some people have developed a comfort level working from home, some are afraid of getting sick,” Candido told CTV News Toronto Wednesday. “Some have school-aged children, who can't go in one day because they have the sniffles… or immunocompromised people at home.”

“People are dealing with all sorts of different challenges. It's not that cut and dry.”

But no matter what policy companies choose, Candido says the successful companies tend to be the ones that provide more flexibility and listen to employee feedback.

“I always recommend when companies want to bring employees back to the office to consider the emotional and mental health of the employees."

Does Ontario's paid sick leave go far enough? – Interview in HRD Canada

This article was originally published by HRD Canada.

The plan may be great for overall wellbeing, but what about employees who fall through the cracks?

Late last month, the Government of Ontario announced an extension to their paid sick leave program – applicable to March 2023. And while it’s good news for employees worried about picking between their income and their wellbeing, does the proposed scheme really go far enough?

“The government will reimburse the employer for three days but the mandatory isolation period is five days – furthermore, it’s possible for an individual to catch COVID more than once,” explained Janet Candido, founder of Candido Consulting Group. “Under these scenarios, employers may have an individual coming to work while still sick because they can’t afford to lose the wages.

“A bigger issue with the program is that employees (or their families) get other illnesses that they should stay home for, however the government won’t reimburse the employer for an employee staying home with a cold, for example. This means that the employee will go into work and spread that virus around to their colleagues. The pandemic really made the public conscientious of spreading viruses and illnesses to others, so it’s important to continue with this mentality and provide alternative solutions for sick employees so they don’t have to choose between not getting paid or going into the office sick and getting others ill.”

And COVID isn’t employers’ only concern right now. The recent rise of hybrid colds are having a knock-on effect on employees and their work attendance. With Ontario gearing up for the winter months, and with them the inevitable peak in illnesses, employers really need to start considering upping their game when it comes to wellbeing leave.

“Many employees don’t have the luxury of paid sick days from their employer, so if they don’t work, they don’t get paid,” added Candido. “The lack of a paid sick day program disproportionately affects low-income workers. As many of these employees can’t afford to lose one or more days of pay, this will result in them going to work, risking the spread of the virus to their colleagues.

“When looking back to pre-pandemic days, there was one year throughout the winter where a cold virus made its rounds in my office. Most of us caught it two or three times that year. A reason being that many people didn't have enough sick days and couldn’t afford to have unpaid days while they were sick.”

As the past two years brought us the harsh reality of the global impact of a virus, it’s crucial to have a permanent sick day program to avoid spreading these viruses further and risk severe viral outbreaks such as COVID, where it brings on additional challenges such as business closures and travel disruptions.

Return to work policies

For HR leaders, the issue is less about ‘policy’ and more about overall wellbeing. If the pandemic taught us anything it’s that, in order to retain top talent, organizations need to be sincere in their health offerings. One-size-fits-all approaches aren’t enough for tired employees – and they certainly won’t help employers win candidates in the Great Reengagement. Flexibility is key here – as Candido suggests asking yourself these very important questions before blanket recalling staff;

  • Do employees really need to be in the office?

  • Do they need to be in the office full time? If not, can a hybrid approach work? 

  • How can we successfully implement a hybrid approach? I.e., assign in-office days, in-office by team or let employees choose.

  • What can you do to support employees returning to work?

“Employers need to remember that this has been a long period of disruption,” she explained. “Mentalities have changed so it’s a good idea to consider a staged return to the office to allow employees to build confidence and get them comfortable. Also, ask employees what it will take to make them comfortable coming back to the office and be flexible and prepared to make accommodations throughout.”

Making accommodations

If an employee is genuinely uncomfortable about return to the office, HR leaders should look at making some sort of accommodation. Look at rolling out flexible working schedules, take note of commuting fears, allow for more remote models – and most of all ensure that your workplace is up to health and safety codes.

“HR and employers can implement a transition period that allows employees to ease back to the office,” Candido told HRD. “It’s also important to be completely open and transparent so employees trust you have their health and safety in mind. This means, continue to be diligent in enforcing the COVID protocols in place – be visible with the extra cleaning and masking requirements – and track the cases of employees who have tested positive and advise anyone who was in the office at the same time to self-monitor or test.”

640 Toronto Interview with The Kelly Cutrara Radio Program: Is it time Canadian companies finally embraced the 4-day work week?

With Ontario lifting mask mandates on TTC and in healthcare settings (doctor’s offices and hospitals), along with the rise of monkeypox, employers are once again facing the reality that some employees are still not comfortable with returning to the workplace.

Host Kelly Cutrara speaks with Janet Candido, HR expert and founder & principal of Candido Consulting Group, about how HR and employers can support/accommodate employees who aren’t comfortable with the office return due to health concerns, the benefits of enforcing a four-day workweek, salary increases due to inflation and employee retention, and more. Listen to the full interview below:


The Globe and Mail: Provincial flip-flops on vaccine mandates are creating confusion for businesses

This is an excerpt of an article written by Rita Trichur originally published in The Globe and Mail. Read the full article here.

As more provinces prepare to relax COVID-19 restrictions, our premiers are seeking political cover from recent social unrest by punting the divisive issue of vaccine mandates to businesses.

“We’ve spent two years being terrified of catching COVID and I think it’s going to take some time for people to lose that level of fear,” said Janet Candido, a human resources expert who is also the founder and principal consultant of Candido Consulting Group.

“I hear from people who are saying ‘I don’t want to go back to the office because I have to travel, I have to use public transit and I don’t know who I’m sitting next to. I don’t know if they’re vaccinated or not.”

Businesses should also pay close attention to staff interactions in the office because vaccine mandates are proving to be a very divisive issue, she said.

“You’ve got to make sure you don’t have the two factions: the vaccinated sitting over there and the unvaccinated sitting over there,” Ms. Candido said. “Try to stay on top of people bringing their personal beliefs into the office and affecting the ability to work.”

Managing social tensions is tricky. But if the recent trucker blockades have taught us anything about managing risk, it is the importance of proactive problem-solving during this pandemic. Too bad that lesson seems to have escaped our elected officials.

“It’s easier to try and address it before it gets really bad than it is to wait three weeks and then try and fix it,” she added.

Misconceptions remain around returning to work during COVID-19

This article was originally published on TalentCanada.ca.

Employers should work with HR to implement, communicate clear steps that ensure safety measures are being followed

As many companies struggle to remain sustainable and competitive amid COVID-19, employers and employees are concerned they may need to reevaluate their current work situation yet again as case counts soar.

And as government regulations continue to evolve, both sides may have misconceptions about their rights and responsibilities.

In general, employers and managers have so far been great at being flexible and accommodating, whether allowing people to work from home or rotating workplace shifts.

And they should be — as far as is reasonably possible — since there is much to be gained; providing flexibility not only makes it easier for employees to complete their work, it also engenders loyalty.

In addition, with many Canadians working from home during the pandemic, a recent survey from PricewaterhouseCoopers shows that the majority of employees rate their productivity as either remaining the same or increasing during the pandemic.

Creative, hybrid solutions

While employers should strive to develop creative, hybrid solutions there are circumstances where accommodation may not make sense.

This includes when roles require on-site attendance or are time- or process-driven, when the accommodation may endanger someone else, when it is cost prohibitive or otherwise just not doable.

But what about accommodating employees who are still working from home and nervous about returning to work?

A good first step to easing concerns is to have an open conversation and actively listen to, and empathize with, their specific fears.

Show understanding that this is a stressful situation by providing mental health support, if necessary, via resources such as the Canadian Mental Health Association, or encouraging them to practice self-care activities even while on the job.

Be proactive about communicating plans and procedures that are in place to manage their safety and limit the risk of exposure.

Refusing unsafe work

An employee has the right to refuse unsafe work under the Canada Labour Code and provincial health and safety legislation if there is “reasonable cause to believe that the job presents a danger to themselves or another employee.”

However, as long as an employer has done their due diligence and is complying with provincial and federal health and safety regulations, a fear of catching the virus is not a reasonable concern for an employee to refuse returning to work.

In fact, employees bear responsibilities of their own concerning health and safety, particularly in the context of COVID-19, such as following management’s directions regarding reporting to work and workplace health procedures.

That said, employers should keep up to date on the regulations and make changes as needed.

For example, Ontario now requires employees to complete a self-declaration survey each day to determine if they may enter the workplace, leading to the development of self-screening apps that businesses can easily and quickly implement.

In addition, the Ontario government has made temporary amendments to the Employment Standards Act during COVID-19, though these are expected to change once again in January 2021.

While most provincial governments and municipalities have “snitch” lines for reporting public flouting of pandemic legislation, how should employees deal with this in the workplace?

While most Canadians respect COVID safety precautions, many employees and even managers may not have a defined playbook for how to handle rule-breakers at work.

A recent survey from O.C. Tanner suggests workers believe there should be consequences, including:

  • verbal warnings from supervisors (61 per cent)

  • written warnings from supervisors (59 per cent)

  • job suspension (37 per cent)

  • financial repercussions, such as paying a fine (34 per cent)

  • mandatory return to working from home (24 per cent)

Employers should work with HR to implement and communicate clear steps that ensure safety measures are being followed, what to do if they are not, and outline the repercussions.

With a clear priority on health and safety, employers can continue to inspire confidence in their people to return to work as appropriate.

Planning for disruption: How to manage employees through the back-to-school transition during COVID-19

This article was originally published in HR.com

With many children returning to school for the first time since the pandemic, many employers are exploring how to best accommodate working parents as they navigate through so many unknowns.

Already a stressful situation for families under normal circumstances, this year, the return to school is fraught with additional hurdles and anxiety. For some, it may signal a return to business as usual. But factors including inconsistent government guidelines, limited childcare options and obligations to keep kids at home at any sign of sickness means that employers looking to retain their workforce should be proactive in planning for disruption.

Accommodating working parents
But how far should employers or managers go to accommodate employees with children? The answer is as far as is reasonably possible; there is nothing to be gained by being inflexible or worse, threatening. Working parents are already experiencing heightened anxiety, fear of making a wrong decision, and dealing with kids who may also be anxious and restless given the pandemic’s restrictions.

It’s not that these employees are unwilling to work or are less productive, they are just simply unable to keep the same schedule/hours as before. In most cases, they are still able to maintain their performance and meet deadlines when working remotely or outside of the traditional 9-5 workday.  Numerous studies have shown that flexible hours promote a greater work-life balance, resulting in employees who are not only more productive, but also happier. In the case of shift workers, this may mean adjusting schedules or rotating employees, when possible. Keep in mind that what works for some will not work for others.  And what works today may not work next week. 

An employer who is flexible and supportive will make it easier for employees to be successful in their role, and they will also gain greater loyalty from them.

What employers can reasonably expect
Of course, this isn’t just a one-way street. Employers have a business to run that pays for employees’ salaries and depends on their productivity and mutual good faith. Naturally, employers can expect their employees to make every effort to do the job for which they are being paid. Employees must also be realistic in their expectations of their employer, be equally flexible and work together to find a solution or make concessions where possible.

Employers can also expect employees to be honest about their situation, whether related to meeting responsibilities or – especially at this time – any potential exposure to, or positive test results for, COVID-19. Children’s return to school can present new opportunities for exposure and employees are responsible for following their employer’s directions regarding reporting to work and workplace health procedures.

Certainly, there are times when making accommodations for employees may not make sense or just cannot be done. This includes situations where the work is time-based or process-driven, when a specific accommodation may endanger someone else or is cost-prohibitive, or when an employee is unwilling to adapt as necessary.

Strategies to maintain productivity
Good management practices are more important than ever to help maintain productivity and engagement. Parents in particular are juggling many responsibilities and competing priorities. With many people working from home, managers will need to be extra aware of factors that can impact motivation, starting with environment. Employees should have an appropriate, private workspace at home. If they need specific or proprietary software, provide a computer for business use with the necessary features to facilitate their role.  Other important strategies include:

  • Introduce flexible hours.  This is applicable whether an employee is at their home or in the office. Working parents may have to work in the evening or are only able to handle part time hours, so flexibility around school/day care schedules can help with productivity. 

  • Maintain a connection. Beyond regular contact to discuss performance and other work-related issues, it’s important to stay in touch with the team for informal conversation. Make regular calls just to ask how they are doing, how are they finding this time, and how are they managing with the challenges of the pandemic.

  • Pay attention to wellbeing.  Now more than ever, it’s critical for managers and employers to recognize symptoms of stress such as irritability, sadness or low mood leading to decreased productivity. Provide stress relieving tips and remind employees of their group benefits, access to employee assistance programs (EAP) or other counselling services and communicate the resources available through associations such as the Canadian Mental Health Association.

  • Get social - virtually. With many people living and working at home alone, social activities and team building exercises – even if only online – can help maintain motivation and provide a sense of community. Plan for social activities, encourage employees to share their hobbies, for example, post their artwork, photography, or volunteer activities, or even trivia games via video-conferencing calls can add some fun to their work. 

It bears repeating that this is an unprecedented and challenging time. By working together to find mutually acceptable solutions while being sensitive to individual circumstances, employers and managers can proactively plan for disruption to continue to get the best out of their employees – and their business.