Ontario government, City of Toronto postpone return to work plan for employees

Thousands of civil servants in Ontario are once again being told to work from home as the rapidly escalating fourth wave of COVID-19 creates new uncertainty for the province.

Members of the Ontario Public Service, who were gradually returning to their provincial offices since November, were told the plan is being paused until Feb. 7 2022 "at the earliest."

The directive came from Michelle DiEmanuele, the Secretary of the Ontario Cabinet on Monday. 

It comes as the provincial government considers how to battle the fast-spreading Omicron variant, which is now responsible for 21 per cent of the province’s new cases, according to the Ontario Science Advisory Table. 

"Over the next week, we are asking all managers to assess operational requirements at the local level and what work can be carried on remotely," a memo to Ontario Public Service workers reads. 

The move aligns with the recommendations of Ontario's Chief Medical Officer of Health who said on Friday employees should, wherever possible, work from home in an attempt to reduce mobility and transmission of the virus.

"Just as I am asking individuals to continue practicing public health measures and get vaccinated, I’m also asking businesses and organizations to remain diligent and vigilant," Moore said. "We are asking that employers ask their employees to work from home whenever possible."

Roughly 30,000 members of the Ontario Public Service, who had been working from home since the beginning of the pandemic, are being told to return to remote work on Friday, Dec, 17th. 

DiEmanuele says a gradual return to the workplace will resume on Feb 7, 2022.

TORONTO POSTPONES RETURN TO WORK PLAN

On Monday afternoon, the City of Toronto announced it would be postponing it's return to work plan for its 25 per cent of employees who work from home.

"Given the new provincial advice, the City Manager has advised employees who are able to work remotely to continue to do so until the public health advice changes," Mayor John Tory said in a statement.

In late November, the city announced it would be reopening all of its office buildings at maximum capacity in January and asking employees to return to the office at least part-time.

At the time, Tory said he hopes the move would motivate other employers to reopen their workplaces.

Another 1,536 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Ontario on Monday as the positivity rate for the disease in the province reaches its highest level in months.