As employers push for a return to the office, are pandemic-era wellness habits under threat?

"For many Canadians, the pandemic and the hybrid-work years that emerged from it revolutionized personal fitness and well-being. Without commutes or rigid office hours, people rediscovered movement, whether through morning runs, lunchtime yoga or midday walks. The concept of the home gym also blossomed, with sales of exercise equipment in Canada increasing 42.5 per cent in 2020. Wellness was no longer separate from work life - it had merged with it."

"This year marks a pivotal moment in the country's return-to-office (RTO) journey. Many organizations that once embraced distributed teams are now reversing course, returning to a more traditional work model. From Toronto-Dominion Bank to Rogers Communications, Starbucks Canada and the public sector, leaders are mandating staff return to the office four or five days a week, arguing that in-person work supports collaboration, mentorship and corporate culture."

"Yet for many employees, the RTO push feels less like a positive shift, with three in five Canadians preferring to spend most of their time working from home, and 79 per cent saying they want at least some remote work flexibility. Moreover, 51 per cent of employees say they would be "very upset" if forced to return to the office more often. This tension is playing out across HR departments, boardrooms and recruiting offices nationwide."

During the pandemic, Canadians adopted home-based fitness and blended work-wellness habits, boosting exercise-equipment sales 42.5 per cent in 2020. Many organizations are now mandating four to five days in-office, citing collaboration, mentorship and corporate culture. A majority of employees prefer remote or hybrid work: three in five prefer working mostly from home, 79 per cent want some flexibility and 51 per cent say they would be "very upset" if forced back more often. Unions criticised government back-to-work orders. The paradox of the modern workplace is that flexibility, not rigidity, has proven to be the real driver of productivity.

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