City of Regina employees working remotely will not be getting return-to-office orders from council this summer after a motion to end the hybrid and virtual work-from-home policy failed in an 8-3 vote on Wednesday.
Motion fails after lengthy debate
Ward 10 Coun. Clark Bezo put forward the motion in April to end remote work for all city employees by Aug. 21. The motion was tabled twice before finally being discussed at the council meeting. After several hours of deliberation, only Couns. Dan Rashovich, George Tsiklis and Bezo voted in favour, while the other eight councillors opposed it.
Bezo argued that bringing staff back downtown would help revitalize businesses and transit routes in Regina’s core. “I want us to tell our businesses and investors that the city stands behind the downtown,” he said during the meeting.
Majority satisfied with current policy
Acting city manager Jim Nicol said he did not see a need to scrap flexible work options. The city has had a remote work policy since 2011, and Nicol described it as functional from an operational standpoint. “We have to ask ourselves, 'Is there some kind of problem we’re trying to fix here or are things satisfactory?' And from administration’s perspective, things are working satisfactorily,” he said.
Employee relations director Chris Frohlick reported that an internal survey found 93 per cent of employees and 64 per cent of managers are satisfied with the current workplace model. Of the city’s 3,039 employees, 351 would have been affected by the motion. Most work-from-home staff are in hybrid arrangements, working in-person a few days a week, while only 22 employees are fully remote.
Logistical and financial hurdles
Nicol noted that bringing hundreds of staff back to city hall would present significant logistical challenges, including physical space constraints. Frohlick advised that accommodating all remote employees would require up to 10,000 square feet of additional office space, which is not available at city hall. About four per cent of city hall’s 700 offices are currently vacant, meaning the city would need to rent a satellite office. Downtown lease rates could reach $285,000 per year, plus renovation and furnishing costs that could grow as high as $2 million.
In contrast, hybrid arrangements carry minimal costs, as the city does not compensate employees for internet or home office setup expenses, according to staff.
Union concerns
Ian Cantello of the Regina Civic Middle Management Association and Tyler Hutchinson of CUPE Local 21 both warned on Wednesday that cancelling remote work would negatively affect many members of their respective unions. Ward 6 Coun. Victoria Flores also voiced opposition, stating, “I don’t believe it is the role of council to meddle or direct at this level.”
