Regina councillors to debate whether remote office workers should return to City Hall

Is it time for the City of Regina’s remote workers to head back to City Hall, or should the hybrid model become permanent?

That debate is at the centre of a motion by Ward 10 Councillor Clark Bezo, which is coming up at Wednesday’s council meeting. Bezo’s motion calls for all employees classified as in-office or hybrid to return to full-time office work by Aug. 21 unless otherwise approved for reasons such as health.

Read more:

• Former Moose Jaw mayor ‘heartbroken,’ upset over Snowbirds grounding
• Mark Friesen, COVID-19 protester and political fighter, has died
• Meet the metal detectorist uncovering Regina’s buried treasure

The motion says having those employees back in the office would help revitalize the city’s downtown, improve transit ridership, and improve operations at city hall.

The Regina Downtown Business Improvement District supports Bezo’s motion, saying in a letter that the downtown area was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“RDBID recognizes and supports the benefits of remote work; however, one of its most significant impacts on Regina’s downtown has been the reduction in daily foot traffic and economic activity for businesses operating in the district, which is why RDBID supports the proposed motion,” wrote Judith Veresuk, the organization’s executive director.

But the unions representing those workers are against the motion, saying it would create more traffic and increase the employees’ cost of living.

“This motion runs contrary to City of Regina policy, ignores peer-reviewed research and demonstrates a misunderstanding of the economic moment we are in,” read a joint submission from the Regina Civic Middle Management Association and CUPE locals 7 and 21.

“Demanding city workers return to the roads means more traffic, less parking and slower commutes for everyone in an area of the city which is already quite congested. It’s also a safety concern during inclement weather,” the unions added.

The organizations also argued that returning to office work would hurt the employees’ work-life balance and put them in less-than-ideal conditions in the 50-year-old City Hall.

“City Hall itself is far past its prime, despite the ongoing and admirable efforts of our facilities team to plug holes in the dam. Or should I say plug holes in a leaky 5th floor window,” the submission added.

Bezo’s motion also asks for a report from administration if the estimated cost of bringing employees back adds up to more than $250,000.