All around downtown Winnipeg, hundreds of desks remain empty, their typical users still working from home.
The migration back to the office hasn’t happened yet, months after a massive COVID-19 vaccination effort that’s seen eight of 10 eligible Manitobans fully vaccinated.
Some of the city’s biggest employers — Manitoba Hydro, Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) and Canada Life — report an office occupancy rate between 10-20 per cent of what it was before March 2020.
“The staffing level pre-pandemic was about 1,600 people at the Portage Avenue downtown head office on weekdays,” a Manitoba Hydro spokesperson tells Global News.
“Starting March 2020, the attendance in the building dropped to the 140-170 range, and has stayed at that level to today.”
It’s the same story just a few blocks to the southeast at CityPlace, home of MPI.
“Two years ago, there were an estimated 1,000 staff in our office space. (Currently) there are an estimated 120 staff on site. MPI continues to closely monitor the COVID infection counts in order to ensure staff are protected.”
Those infection counts are slowly on their way up in Manitoba, after many residents spent the past few weeks nervously watching the situations in Alberta and Saskatchewan deteriorate.
So for now, the migration back to the office for many companies is on hold, as Manitoba health officials say the fourth wave is now here.
But it hasn’t stopped companies from preparing for the future.
And if the pandemic has taught employers anything over the past 18-plus months, it’s that flexibility is a good idea.
MPI says it’s in the midst of rolling out a three-phase flexible work program that will allow many employees to choose the best location for their future work.
“We are currently in Phase 2, which consists of leader and employee input, then (developing) an implementation strategy. The Corporation is hoping to implement its third and final phase early 2022. Implementation timing will be phased, and will take place after pandemic restrictions have been lifted.”
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Canada Life doesn’t expect more than a quarter of employees back at the office in the “foreseeable future.”
“We’re committed to supporting a hybrid, flexible work environment that allows us to achieve the best of both working remotely and in the office,” a spokesperson tells Global News.
“We surveyed employees earlier this year to help shape our planning and will continue to get their input moving forward. We’ll ask for feedback from those who return to the office, so we can learn from their experience and make improvements as needed.”
Less time commuting, not having to pay for parking and less money spent on gas are all some of the reasons employees aren’t in a rush to get back to the office.
But for those downtown businesses that rely on office workers to pay the bills, they can’t wait much longer for their old customers to be back.
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