Winnipeg City Council looking at possible discontinuation of Flexible Workplace Agreement

Working from home or working in the office? That’s a question city councillors have been grappling with, as some want city employees back in the office all days of the work-week.

Improvements in employee engagement, collaboration, performance, productivity, and retention as well as recruitment of staff were just some of the indicators mentioned in a report about the benefits of the city’s work-from-home program.

The Executive Policy Committee has been mulling over whether to discontinue the Flexible Workplace Agreement, with the committee set to discuss the matter again next week.

“Why break something that is working just fine and is working well for the city,” said Matt Allard, City Councillor for St. Boniface.

“I’m thinking of single parents. if we eliminate the work-from-home policy. We will be eliminating candidates who have personal circumstances that would allow them to work if there was a telework policy. In the absence of a telework policy, they would not be able to work for the City of Winnipeg and I think that’s Winnipeg’s loss.”

While City Councillor Allard supports the city’s Flexible Workplace Agreement, his colleague City Councillor Russ Wyatt is among the councillors who are against the continuation of the program.

He brought forth a motion asking for the program to be discontinued.

The motion mentions concerns about vacant office space, the need to bring more people downtown, and loss of productivity.

But the City’s report about its work from the program notes that for the most part office space has not changed due to the flexible work arrangement and that vacancy in the city’s civic campus is lower than prior to the pandemic.

“It’s the right program for the public service. It not only isn’t impairing the level of service we’re providing, but in fact, in some cases, it really is enhancing it,” said Michael Jack, Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Winnipeg.

According to the city’s report, there are 1,550 employees with an approved Flexible Workplace Agreement, with 275 employees with a full-time and 1,275 with a hybrid/part-time arrangement.

“Our public works staff do not work downtown. They work quite far from downtown. Forcing public works staff to commute to a place that isn’t downtown is not going to help downtown business,” said Allard.

The report notes that the number of staff who have a Flexible Workplace Agreement only represents 15 per cent of its 10,400 employees.

“Every other public sector organization has a work-from-home policy in place. The City of Winnipeg would be the only one that wouldn’t have that. There’s a risk of losing people,” explained Gord Delbridge, CUPE Local 500 President.

The Executive Policy Committee is set to discuss the Flexible Workplace Program again on Oct. 17.