One in four Quebec employers would like their employees to spend more time in the office

A person works at a computer (Jenny Kane/The Canadian Press)

While telecommuting has become widespread since the COVID-19 pandemic, nearly one in four Quebec employers who use hybrid mode would like their employees to spend more time in the workplace.

In fact, 23 per cent of hybrid employers - and as many as 56 per cent in the public and parapublic sectors - would like their employees to spend more time in the workplace.

These figures come from a Léger survey of company owners, presidents, general managers and human resources directors, carried out in December 2023 on behalf of the Quebec Family Network.

More generally, 88 per cent of the 1,039 employers surveyed said they had implemented work-life balance measures. The most popular measure was flexible working hours, at 67 per cent.

The introduction of paid leave for family responsibilities is on the increase, having risen from 18 per cent in 2022 to 23 per cent in 2023.

"Work-life balance measures in general are here to stay," said Corinne Vachon Croteau, executive director of the Quebec Family Network, saying she believes employers have considered the labour shortage and made compromises to keep their workers.

"I don't think there will be any turning back. We're in the process of making a lasting transformation," she said.

- This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on April 16, 2024.