LAC LA BICHE - With technology becoming more readily available and allowing employees to work from home, it's causing the traditional workplace to be challenged. The COVID-19 pandemic gave staff a taste of what working remotely is like, and despite many people now returning to the office, there remain requests for staff to work from home, including those employed with Lac La Biche County.
Deborah Menard, the County’s human resources advisor, echoed that some municipal staff and potential hires are requesting the option for remote work opportunities.
“I don’t want to initiate a debate, but we are already facing challenges in our organization about employees requesting flexibility; and some new hires demanding it. It’s on the table right now, and it’s not only us, it’s not a unique situation,” said Menard during last week’s regular council meeting.
After transitioning staff who traditionally worked in office environments to conduct their work duties at home during the pandemic, then returning to office environments, the rules need to be crystal clear regarding working remotely, said County Mayor Paul Reutov.
"It should be very clearly outlined in the hiring policy on how the County wishes to proceed with this,” he said. There should be no room for interpretation on the matter, especially regarding vacant positions.
Quarter reports
The County’s human resources department presented the information during a regular update on the department’s quarter one and two statistics. The data, which includes new hires, pay, and employment status alongside illnesses, saw over 68 staff members work 2,878 hours outside the office from January to March of 2022 due to COVID. Fortunately, the numbers during the last three months are a drastic decrease with just 25 employees working from home for 344 hours, Menard said, referring to the report.
“It's gone down significantly as you can see. A couple of factors around that [are] we’re no longer paying casuals and seasonal for COVID-related leaves,” said Menard.
Another factor includes not financially covering staff who have to tend to children who are sick due to COVID, a service that was previously offered, she said. Comparably, during quarter two in 2021, 237 hours or $7,299 of staff pay was recorded for employees who needed to stay home with sick children.
Remote work agreements
The County has been using a telework agreement for almost a decade, offered to staff on a case-by-case basis. The 2013 document outlines arrangements to support staff and their needs alongside addressing “space restrictions” that may be experienced inside County offices.
Some staff working out of the office or at home are dealing with serious health or life challenges, Menard explained.
“It’s not for COVID-related leave [only]. There could be people who have had personal illnesses, or death in the family, or they’re struggling but they have positions that they have to continue working. Some positions are specialized, so we try to accommodate.”
Additionally, all telework arrangements include a detailed alternative work environment both for confirmation, insurance and health and safety concerns, she added.
“Our telework agreement that we have covers a lot of the liabilities stuff too. If it's myself, I have to say where I’m working, let health and safety know the parameters of where I’m working, and trip and fall hazards - all of those things are covered… health and safety signs off on all telework agreements before they are approved for the employee.”
Solutions
Moving forward, the human resources department will gather data and concerns related to remote work for council to address.
“It does raise a bunch of questions and that door has been opened over the last year and people are taking full advantage of it in more ways than one,” said Reutov.
As County council addresses how to move forward in the coming months with arrangements and or amending policies, in today's world a balance needs to be found, said the municipality's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Dan Small.
“We know that there are staff that have to come to work all the time — you can’t mow grass from home. We want to come up with a new working from home policy that will reflect a new reality,” he said.
