Overview

• RBC, Scotiabank and BMO will require employees to work at least four days in the office each week starting in September, and Canaccord Genuity plans a full five-day schedule.
• Corporate leaders cite improved collaboration, mentorship and a more cohesive culture as the primary drivers behind the new in-office requirements.
• A 2024 KPMG survey found 83 percent of Canadian CEOs expect full-time office returns within three years, up from 55 percent a year earlier.
• Experts warn the mandates are arbitrary without granular performance metrics and may contradict research, such as a Stanford study showing hybrid workers match the productivity and promotion rates of office-based peers.
• Small and medium-sized firms remain more flexible, with only about 20 percent of leaders planning full-time office returns to balance talent retention and workforce preferences.