WRHA employees working from home being called back to office this summer

Employees with the Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) who are working remotely are being told to return to the office this summer.

According to a memo obtained by CTV News Winnipeg from WRHA president and CEO Mike Nader, employees currently working from home full-time will have to complete at least 50 per cent of their worked time in an office or administrative environment starting on July 22.

“We recently received a directive to have more balanced and consistent work/remote schedules to encourage stronger collaboration and connection with each other while still providing some flexibility and convenience for those that wish to work remotely,” the letter reads.

Remote work came into effect when the COVID-19 pandemic was first declared in 2020. According to the letter, Nader said staff who worked remotely displayed “excellent productivity and commitment to providing the best care and service.”

“I appreciate that this change may be disruptive,” he wrote. “It is my hope that you will see value in coming together as teams to collaborate, plan and prioritize our work, while still retaining the potential to work remotely.”

In January, Premier Wab Kinew said his government would look at bringing in remote or hybrid work models for public sector employees.

“If you work with people who have no choice but to show up on the front lines, then I think we need to show up too,” Kinew said at the time.

The WRHA isn’t the only organization bringing employees back to office in a hybrid model.

A memo from Shared Health CEO Lanette Siragusa stated that employees working remotely will have to work 50 per cent of the time in-office starting on July 15. This impacts employees working in the Winnipeg capital region, according to the memo.

- With files from CTV’s Jon Hendricks.