Montréal, February 11, 2022 ‒ In anticipation of the return to the office that will begin on February 28, the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal is pleased to release a guide to help businesses successfully plan for their employees' return and to provide them with tools to reorganize work in hybrid mode.
The release of this guide follows an exchange workshop held as part of the “I love working downtown” initiative, organized in partnership with the Quebec government and Ville de Montréal. This workshop drew 65 stakeholders from the business community, mainly managers and employees of businesses of various sizes based in downtown Montréal. Participants discussed the challenges facing employers in the reorganization of work, namely the recognition of in-person work, human resources management in hybrid mode, and optimizing well-being, health and safety at work.
This in-depth tool combines the views of employees and employers on returning to the office, and includes a list of concrete actions to be taken in the short and long term.
“The government’s recent announcement has been welcomed by Montréal’s business community, which views the return to the office as an opportunity to reinvent the workplace as we know it. In addition, a survey conducted by the CCMM in January found that a majority of workers (60%) were enthusiastic about getting back to the office. This shows that both employers and employees have been waiting for the easing of restrictions,” said Michel Leblanc, President and CEO of the CCMM.
“Planning for a successful return to the office is all about collaboration and knowledge sharing. It was essential for us to mobilize various representatives from the business community—directors, executives, managers and employees—in order to help develop and share best practices. We are convinced that this guide will become an essential tool for all businesses wishing to achieve a safe, gradual, flexible and attractive return to the office of their employees,” added Michel Leblanc.
“I applaud the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal’s initiative to offer this guide to employers. This tool will help thousands of employees resume in-person work safely, allowing downtown Montréal to regain its strength. It’s important to take the necessary steps to get businesses back up and running and quickly regain their pre-pandemic vitality,” said Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of Economy and Innovation and Minister Responsible for Regional Economic Development.
“I would like to congratulate the CCMM for this great initiative, aimed at equipping both businesses and workers to help them prepare for the return to in-person work. Obviously, we need to continue to implement the health measures that have been put in place, but we also need to start looking ahead. Telework has thrived during the pandemic, and it will likely gradually evolve into a hybrid work model. In this sense, we need to discuss new challenges that arise and find common solutions in order to support businesses in the metropolitan area and their workers, and, above all, foster downtown Montréal’s economic recovery,” said Jean Boulet, Minister of Labour, Employment and Social Solidarity, Minister of Immigration, Francization and Integration and Minister Responsible for the Mauricie Region.
“Bringing workers back to the office, especially downtown, will breathe new life into the city’s economic recovery, which is already well underway. The energy and vitality of the downtown area depends on the presence of workers, students, tourists and residents on its streets and in its businesses, restaurants and cultural institutions. This long-awaited return must be aligned with the current public health measures. This is why I commend the CCMM’s I love to work downtown initiative, which will address employers' and workers' concerns and make it possible to plan a successful return to the workplace,” said Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal.
This guide can be downloaded on the CCMM’s website
Consult the reference guide (In French Only)
About the “I love working downtown” initiative
I love working downtown is an initiative of the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal. Its objective is to accelerate the revival of downtown Montréal. The above guide was produced in partnership with the Quebec government and Ville de Montréal.
About the Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal
With a network of 8,000 members, the CCMM is active on two fronts: being the voice of the Montréal business community and delivering specialized services to businesses and their representatives. With its finger on the pulse of current events, it acts on issues that are decisive for the prosperity of the city’s businesses. With the support of the Acclr experts, the CCMM’s goal is to accelerate the creation and growth of businesses of all sizes, at home and around the world.
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Source :
Anne-Sophie DesRoches
Advisor, Public Affairs
NATIONAL Public Relations
Tel.: 514 238-1825
asdesroches@national.ca
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