Roughly half of the City of Calgary’s 5,000 inside workers gained the ability to work from home five days a week in their last contract negotiation, and thus far, all sides are content with the result.

Last summer, in a protracted labour negotiation that ultimately saw the City of Calgary award CUPE 38 workers a 9.5 per cent raise over three years, certain eligible workers could also request a five-day-a-week work-from-home option.

Under the Telework – Work from Home Agreement, eligibility is based on operational requirements of an employee’s position and employee suitability. Any requests for five-day work-from-home would be submitted to their respective director for consideration.

The agreement also outlines that the City of Calgary provide appropriate computer technology for the works, and an ergonomic assessment of their primary workspace, at no cost to the employee. Office supplies will also be provided by the employer.

The agreement was signed Oct. 8, 2024.

D’Arcy Lanovaz, president of CUPE Local 38, said that it only applies to potentially half of the workforce, as many of the inside worker and technical positions are public facing. Lanovaz said, however, that only a handful have requested a full five-day work-from-home schedule. Most employees are around three days, so it’s more of a hybrid approach, he said.

“There’s always a few that want to be completely at home, but most of the membership understands that there’s a value to coming in some time to the office, but there’s also a big value on the home front,” he said.  

“What I hear constantly is ‘I’m able to be more productive and get so much more done, because I have far less distractions when I’m at home.’”

Lanovaz said it’s also been a case of having a good discussion with a supervisor to understand the workflow and the needs of the position.

Remote workers are productive: City survey

As it stands, only 6.7 per cent of CUPE 38 active workers are approved to work from home, according to the City of Calgary. They also said that employees who are approved for telework must come into the office when requested.

Overall, two-thirds of City of Calgary employees are in roles that aren’t eligible for remote work.

When asked about concerns over potential productivity with employees at home, the City of Calgary said it’s still early in the process, given that the agreement was ratified in June last year and signed in October.

They did conduct a survey during the pandemic when most employees were forced to work from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

“Nearly all leaders (93 per cent) agreed that remote employees were productive and could provide high-level customer service,” read a city spokesperson’s response.

“Leaders are expected to ensure productivity, regardless of their employee’s work location. Success measures are based on the role of the employee. Telework agreements are reviewed on a regular basis and changed as needed.”

Lanovaz said that he’s not opposed to formalized checks for worker productivity in a work-from-home setting.

“I mean, this is taxpayer dollars, so people need to get value out of it,” he said.

How performance is measured is often in the eye of the beholder, Lanovaz said. That’s perhaps where some managerial evolution needs to take place.

“If I see the person in the office, they must be doing work, and if they’re not in the office, obviously they’re not doing work, which is two -dimensional thinking, quite honestly, and doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said.  

“Just because you happen to be in the sight line of the supervisor, is that being productive? I don’t know. Just because the supervisor can’t see them, does that mean they’re not being productive? No, not at all.”

Evolving technology and perspectives on work location

Ward 2 Coun. Jennifer Wyness supported the CUPE 38 push for five-day work-from-home options. She said that through school, university and in their careers, people have developed strategies to help them be productive.

“We have people that we hire into organization that have constructed successful work habits, and then we say, ‘No, you’re going to have to be in this office,’ which can lead to poor performance,” Wyness told LWC.

“So, when we create choice of workspaces, we actually will get the most out of our employees, and it allows us to use technology in a way that I think benefits our society overall, rather than take away.”

Coun. Wyness knows there will be some citizens that will express frustration over City of Calgary workers being allowed to work from home all week long. She encouraged citizens to look at the bigger picture. There’s a benefit to fewer cars on the road, which shortens commutes and improves the overall climate situation.

“I think systems change and evolve, and I understand that frustration that others have, but I would encourage other workplaces to allow this to happen as well,” she said.

Ward 1 Coun. Sonya Sharp said she was one of the original work-from-home employees who piloted this option back in 2009. She worked from home twice a week and she said it worked well.

“It does give a good balance for people that have competing priorities in their life, and that’s OK,” she said.

Sharp said that it was important to not only monitor productivity, but absenteeism as well. She knows systems were in place during COVID-19 to ensure workers were on the job.

Retention of employees is key: Sharp

Coun. Sharp said that the City of Calgary is competing with the private sector for the best and brightest, and this is one more carrot they can offer to employees.

“I also think it puts a little bit more onus and responsibility on the employee to know that this is a perk to working here, and it can be taken away. I don’t believe that it has to be set in stone,” she said.

“We want to make sure that we’re keeping the best here.”

The City of Calgary said that over the past year they’ve been trying to address workspace requirements to accommodate growth and reduce facility costs.

“As part of this, we are evolving workstyles, employee connections, workplace vibrancy, and continuing to evaluate productivity,” the spokesperson wrote in an email response.

“The City recognizes the growing demand for flexible work options to attract and retain top talent. These options help us remain competitive while also supporting the health and well-being of our employees.”

Coun. Wyness also said that with potentially fewer workers coming downtown to the municipal building – or other locations – the city may have to find innovative ways of using the space. She said the federal government has looked at converting buildings they no longer need due to work from home.

She said that work can be done while modernizing the City of Calgary’s workforce.

“We can build an even better community, where we’re less stressed, where we’re still performing and growing a wonderful city, while respecting the rights of individuals to build community,” she said.

Lanovaz said so far, employees overwhelmingly say the flexibility is working.

“They’re loving the flexibility,” he said.

“If it’s not working for them, they have the ability to come in five days a week, the old fashioned way, if they want.”

The current CUPE 38 contract runs through 2026.