City of Winnipeg looking to assess impact of working from home

A woman can be seen working in front of a computer. (Branislav Nenin/Shutterstock)

The City of Winnipeg is allowing roughly 1,800 workers to continue to work from home.

Some employees initially started the practice during the pandemic.

Now, a new work flex program will allow employees to continue the practice for up to five days a week.

Coun. Janice Lukes (Waverley West) said the program, which started Monday, is innovative and fundamentally changes the way the city delivers services.

“This is a brand new approach, and I think is one of the silver linings of COVID,” she told the committee.

Still, the city councillor wants to find a way to measure the benefits and challenges of remote work.

She introduced a motion at Wednesday’s standing policy committee on innovation and economic development meeting, calling for an 18-month pilot project allowing employees to work remotely - but only for two days a week.

“We've had accountability challenges in the past in the city. I know there's a lot of positive that can come from flex work, but I also know that there can be challenges," Lukes told CTV News Winnipeg.

"I want to ensure that the managers are trained and skilled to manage flex. I thought with a two-day week to start as a pilot, that would be good,” she said.

Under Lukes’ motion, the city’s chief administrative officer would assess the impact on work productivity, customer service standards and value for taxpayer money with measurable data.

The motion will go to the mayor’s executive policy committee next week.