{"id":30814,"date":"2025-02-04T09:56:41","date_gmt":"2025-02-04T13:56:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/magazine\/non-classifiee\/back-in-the-office-what-to-do-to-make-it-as-inclusive-as-possible\/"},"modified":"2026-03-10T21:02:50","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T01:02:50","slug":"back-in-the-office-what-to-do-to-make-it-as-inclusive-as-possible","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.urelles.com\/en\/magazine\/inclusion-en\/back-in-the-office-what-to-do-to-make-it-as-inclusive-as-possible\/","title":{"rendered":"Back in the office: what to do to make it as inclusive as possible"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Read more on the subject of DEI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Equality vs. Equity: it’s not about discrimination, it’s about different needs!<\/a><\/div>\n\n
DEI: We all need more equity!<\/a><\/div>\n\n
DEI and wokism, two different approaches<\/a><\/div>\n\n

****<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, an overwhelming number of organizations went into full telecommuting mode, virtually overnight. Today, just a few years later, the mandatory return to the office is once again a trend and an option implemented by many companies. How can we approach this decision from an equity, diversity and inclusion perspective, so as to minimize irritants? It’s a big question, and we’re here to give you some food for thought! <\/p>\n\n

What do the data tell us?<\/h2>\n\n

We know that maintaining telecommuting can be detrimental to collaboration, creativity and team spirit. It does, however, enable employees with special needs (however numerous they may be) to achieve a better work-life balance, which increases their satisfaction and, ultimately, their retention. Even if working from home can also be a source of isolation, according to a 2023 study<\/a> of over 10,000 Quebecers, almost all of them felt they were just as, if not more, productive (96%) and worked just as many, if not more, hours (92%) when working remotely. <\/p>\n\n

Similarly, an Atlassian study<\/a> of global leaders suggests that being present in the office does not improve productivity. The benefits of returning to the office are therefore mainly focused on socialization and office profitability. <\/p>\n\n

With this in mind, it’s important to think about how we can meet employees’ specific needs and improve their productivity, since these are the two major advantages of teleworking. <\/p>\n\n

Listening and consultation at the heart of good decision-making<\/h2>\n\n

Before we begin, it’s worth noting that Canada is the undisputed champion of teleworking. Workers spend almost twice as much time telecommuting as elsewhere in the world – 1.7 days a week, compared with 0.9 days in an average of 34 countries<\/a>. Is this too much? Not enough? <\/p>\n\n

To find out, a thorough assessment of employee needs is essential before implementing return-to-work policies. No one likes to see their working conditions change radically overnight without being consulted, or even warned! <\/p>\n\n

The aim is to enable staff members to express their concerns about returning to the office part-time or full-time. For example, parents may have specific childcare needs, while neurodivergent<\/a> people may require adapted work environments that minimize distractions. The aim is to ensure that returning to the office is not just an obligation, but also an opportunity for improvement and adaptation. <\/p>\n\n

The importance of office comfort<\/h2>\n\n

If you absolutely want your employees to return to the office, you need to ensure that your premises are accessible to everyone. This is even truer if you’ve recently hired people who have only ever teleworked for your company!\u2009This means..:<\/p>\n\n