How to Effectively Plan a Successful Return to the Workplace

To help employers manage the transition back to the workplace, four of our labour and employment lawyers have summarized the legal considerations in an article published by the Conseil du patronat du Québec’s GuideTélétravail Québec.

On February 8, the government announced that the mandatory telework requirement will end on February 28, 2022. While transitioning work habits to telework has been arduous, what about managing the return to work in person? Employers need to be prepared for several management challenges.

To do so, they will need to be consistent in their actions and agree on a strategic direction to follow when dealing with reluctant employees. These basic legal issues include:

• management rights and nuances in unionized and non-unionized environments;
• the employer's obligation to provide a safe workplace; and
• the right of refusal.

The authors put into perspective the meaning and scope of these elements in a back-to-work context and suggest constructive, realistic and practical management solutions.