The City of Toronto is delaying recently announced return-to-office plans in the wake of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.
All fully-vaccinated office-based employees with the City of Toronto were set to be back in the workplace, at least some of the time, starting on Jan. 4, 2022. That plan has now been put on ice and is in line with many other employers across North America that have had to draw and redraw return-to-office plans several times since the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic.
Read: City of Toronto, Scotiabank rolling out return-to-office plans
Public health units across Canada are currently imposing stricter health measures or issuing additional guidance to residents in light of the fast-spreading variant. On Dec. 10, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health advised employers in all industries to make every effort to allow employees to continue to work from home. As a result of this change in guidance, the City’s office staff will continue to work remotely until there are changes to these provincial public health guidelines.
“The City continues to demonstrate that the health and safety of employees and the public are the highest priorities and that all decisions are based on science and evidence,” said Chris Murray, the City’s manager, in a press release. “The City’s office staff have been incredibly productive and shown great ingenuity while working remotely and I know that will continue. I look forward to welcoming staff back to offices when it is safe to do so.”
Read: Employers in U.S. rethinking return-to-office plans in wake of Omicron variant