How working from home is affecting the workplace
The COVID-19 pandemic caused an enduring shift in workplace culture in Canada by dramatically increasing the number of employees who work from home. Initially, the remote work was imposed on workers as an emergency measure to help contain the spread of the virus. But it quickly became apparent that, despite the disruptions, most of those who had shifted to working from home preferred it to working in their regular workplace and wanted the arrangement to continue after the pandemic ended. For a significant part of the workforce, having the flexibility to work from home on some days, if
not every day, is now the expected and accepted practice.
Employers, too, have had to adjust to this new reality. For some, there are clear advantages. For instance, they can spend less on leases for office space or hire talented workers who may not live within commuting distance. Others may feel more frustrated with not having their workforce back together in one place, and may be implementing policies requiring more to return to the office.
Exploring how the shift to working from home is affecting job satisfaction, productivity, teamwork, and equity and inclusion is an important step in assessing the current state of the workplace in Canada. Accordingly, this report updates the profile of who is and is not working from home, and how often, over four years after the onset of the pandemic. But it also explores the question of whether a rift is opening in the workplace between those who are and are not working from home.
Key insights
Working from home was more common for executives, managers and business owners, and for office and administrative workers, compared to those in other occupations. It was also much more common for those with a university degree compared to those with other types of education.
Racialized workers and Indigenous workers tended to be a bit more likely to agree that allowing people to work from home as much as they want has made their workplace a more enjoyable place to be. But they also tended to be more likely to express concerns that people who work at home are missing out on too many things.
Going forward, two out of three Canadian workers (68%) said they would like to have the option of working from home at least one day per week.
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