‘Weight of Winnipeg’s downtown on their shoulders’ Hybrid work set-ups reign amid tug-of-war between employers, employees and advocates on both sides By: Gabrielle Piché Posted: 6:05 PM CST Friday, Feb. 2, 2024

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Chatter fills the food court of 201 Portage.

Office workers wait at a sushi restaurant and peruse a nearby market. Others tote lunch bags as they sit down with peers.

For some, lunching in a Winnipeg high-rise is again a daily routine. But for many of downtown’s biggest employers, hybrid reigns supreme — and there’s no signs of change.

“At first, I missed being fully in the office,” said Heather Carriere, a white-collar worker who went fully remote during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, she works two to three days per week in the city’s core. She loves her employer for it.

“To bring me back to the office just so I can spend money and can help out local downtown… I kind of feel like it’s pushing me”–Vlad Kuznetsov

“I have a family with kids that are still dependent,” Carriere said. “To have the flexibility to work from home when maybe they’re sick… I can just keep an eye on them, but still get my work done.

“It takes a lot of the pressure off.”

Nearby, Vlad Kuznetsov eats food from home. He treks an hour daily to his office; being back full-time is “unfortunate.”

Downtown Winnipeg advocates have called for a wide-scale return of office workers, as local businesses struggle with sales.

“To bring me back to the office just so I can spend money and can help out local downtown… I kind of feel like it’s pushing me,” Kuznetsov said, adding he’s not sure if downtown recovery was the specific reason for being called back into the office.

It shouldn’t be workers’ responsibility to ensure downtown thrives, he added. He’d prefer a hybrid set-up.

Carriere buys lunch and enjoys the office and supporting local. However, spending cash during work hours isn’t always feasible, she said.

“I can’t afford it every time,” she explained. “Price of gas, price of parking… groceries. Everything’s going up.”

Post-pandemic white-collar businesses have largely, over the past two years, been involved in a tug-of-war between employers and staff regarding work set-ups, said Tory McNally, a human resources professional with Legacy Bowes.

On one hand, managing remote staff can be “really difficult” — it’s hard to build culture, give feedback and performance reviews and note if employees are burned out, McNally stated.

On the other, many white-collar employees have adapted their lives to remote or hybrid work; some may not have proper child care for a full office return.

Committed to hybrid work

McNally has consulted several businesses with downtown presences.

“As a business owner, they don’t really want the weight of Winnipeg’s downtown on their shoulders as they’re making these decisions,” she said.

Downtown employers including Canada Life, IGM Financial, Wawanesa Insurance, University of Winnipeg, Bell MTS, Bank of Montreal and Red River College Polytechnic have committed to some form of hybrid work model for staff.

They join public-sector organizations such as Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba, Travel Manitoba, Manitoba Public Insurance and Manitoba Hydro.

“When we look at the future of work research and best practices, it’s clear that hybrid work is going to be part of the Canadian labour market,” Cynthia Currie, IGM Financial executive vice-president and chief human resources officer, said in a statement.

IGM Financial’s 1,235 Winnipeg employees are required to be in the office three days a week.

Renovating spaces

More than 90 per cent of Canada Life’s 3,500 Winnipeg staff work hybrid.

The WCB has “no plans” to change its existing system, where 72 per cent of its 594 full-time employees work hybrid, according to Sarah Wallace, communications director.

The U of W launched a pilot program allowing some of its 978 faculty and staff to work remotely, up to twice a week. It’s now creating a formal policy to support some remote work, a spokesperson told the Free Press.

Meantime, downtown landlords and businesses have been renovating their spaces to make the office more appealing for returning workers.

The Richardson Centre is building a lounge and golf simulator facility. Wawanesa’s new True North Square headquarters will host a fitness floor.

Some 1,300 Wawanesa employees will work downtown part-time, once the tower opens this winter, a spokesperson said.

“I think we’re still learning what the impact of remote work is and can be”–Kate Fenske

Woo Chun still finds it hard to prepare for lunch crowds at Bon Sushi, his restaurant in 201 Portage’s food court.

The biggest lines tend to come in the middle of the week; people most often stay home Mondays and Fridays.

“I can see increasing numbers (of people) working,” Chun noted, adding it’s the busiest he’s been since the pandemic.

Unlike pre-pandemic, Chun doesn’t stay open until the end of the workday. Once he sells out of sushi, he closes — people don’t seem to stay late anymore, Chun said.

“I think we’re still learning what the impact of remote work is and can be,” said Kate Fenske, chief executive of Downtown Winnipeg Business Improvement Zone. “We understand that every employer is going to make the decision that works best for them.”

BIZ staff returned downtown full-time once possible. Over the last two years, they’ve watched the core get busier.

“There’s rush-hour traffic, there’s more people on the sidewalk, there’s people waiting for buses,” Fenske said.

Still, downtown’s economy can’t solely rely on office staff, Fenske said; it’s a message she’s touted throughout post-pandemic recovery. Growing the residential population, hosting events and accommodating students is necessary, she added.

RRC Poly alone enrolled nearly 5,700 students at its Exchange District campus during the 2023 academic year.

The Downtown Winnipeg BIZ is creating a new report on who’s visiting the city’s core; it’ll be released sometime in February.

“It really is arts, culture, sports, entertainment bringing people downtown,” Fenske said of early findings, adding students are a “critical piece.”

Ryan Kuffner, president of Economic Development Winnipeg, maintains office workers are crucial for downtown revitalization.

“(The) rebound of our downtown is going to depend on the decisions that our companies make in the coming months and years,” he said.

“We know some form of hybrid is here and that how we work evolved, but I’m not sure we’re fully at the endpoint of what that looks like”–Kate Fenske

Some downtown law firms have mandated full-time office work. The Canadian Forces Recruiting Centre, a branch of the federal government, requires its 23 staff to be in office full-time.

Another federal branch, Canada Revenue Agency, has 1,350 employees working hybrid. The approach comes after a 2023 strike; one of the bargaining points was hybrid options.

Other employers, such as IBM, have taken their downtown Winnipeg staff remote.

Businesses are still navigating this societal shift, Fenske noted.

“We know some form of hybrid is here and that how we work evolved, but I’m not sure we’re fully at the endpoint of what that looks like.”

Empty Cup Collective has invested in downtown Winnipeg: 2 1/2 months ago, it opened shop in Winnipeg Square.

“We’ve had really good reception,” said Ash Khan, an employee at the location.

There are regulars now, and business is typically “steady and busy.”

Premier Wab Kinew suggested public-sector workers may be asked to return to downtown Winnipeg more often during a business forum in January. Hybrid work being the default is something to revisit, he said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com