Crown corps’ hybrid work options ending this fall

Manitoba Public Insurance managers and directors who are allowed to work remotely some days will be required in the office full time starting Oct. 5.

President and CEO Satvir Jatana announced changes to the Crown corporation’s hybrid work program in an email to MPI’s workforce Thursday.

“Being in the office creates opportunities for quick conversations, faster alignment and more effective problem-solving,” Jatana wrote in the email, which was obtained by the Free Press.

“This is harder to replicate in a hybrid environment. Improving our ability to execute will be supported by more in-person collaboration.”

Assistant managers, managers and directors are being asked to return to the office five days per week, she wrote.

It includes more than 100 positions at MPI’s downtown headquarters in Cityplace, and its Pembina Highway and physical damage centre locations, spokesperson Kristy Rydz told the Free Press.

She said assistant managers and managers at service centres, and MPI’s executive, currently work full time at their workplaces.

A source said those whose remote work days are being cut are non-union.

“It’s widely assumed this is table-setting for all hybrid and fully remote employees to return to the office later this year,” the source said.

Jatana’s email acknowledged the change will prompt questions about whether others will be asked to work in the office more often.

“While we are not contemplating a return to office for everyone at this time, we are planning to bring additional roles back in phases, to accommodate space needs,” she wrote.

“We are still working through those details and plan to have further conversations with our leaders to inform the next phase.”

An update is expected by the end of June, the email said.

“We will continue to keep safety and security, costs of commuting and a focus on retaining flexibility top of mind as we make those decisions as that is what we have heard directly from you as the most critical considerations when it comes to returning to the office,” Jatana wrote.

Introduced in 2024 after the COVID-19 pandemic, MPI’s hybrid program requires employees in non-management roles to be in the office on a rotating schedule of two days one week and three days the next.

Directors and management are required to work on site at least three days per week. Contact centre staff are fully remote. MPI had 1,286 employees in hybrid positions, including 942 in Cityplace, as of late March.

“Hybrid work as it is today, with 50-50 home and office, strikes the right balance between increased productivity at home and in-person collaboration in the office,” the source said.

“Staff have been doing great aligning their work plans based on home and office days, so people aren’t buying this latest spin from the CEO.”

The source said the messaging from MPI’s executive is “ever changing.”

In March, Jatana emailed employees to tell them the Crown corporation was not considering changing its hybrid work model at that time, but the program was continually under review.

The March email was prompted by Manitoba Hydro’s decision to cut remote workdays from two to one per week for eligible employees, starting Oct. 6. The change mainly affects Hydro’s roughly 1,800 staff at its downtown office.

In Thursday’s email, Jatana said the change for assistant managers, managers and directors is intended to help build a strong, cohesive leadership team.

“Finally, we are seeing a broader shift in how organizations are approaching in-office work. Our leadership team needs to set the tone,” she wrote.

“We realize this is a significant change for our leaders, which is why we’re talking about this so far in advance.”

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca