Rogers forcing employees back to office 5 days a week affecting thousands in Ontario

Rogers Communications Inc. is just the latest major Canadian employer to scale back on remote work flexibility, informing staff that corporate employees will be required to return to the office full-time by early next year. 

The telecom giant says it will begin a phased return starting this October, when corporate employees will be expected to be in the office four days a week. By February 2026, employees will be asked to be in the office five days a week. 

According to Rogers spokesperson Zac Carreiro, the staggered approach is designed to help employees and their families adjust to the new routine. There will be no changes for frontline or production teams. 

Rogers' corporate office is located at 333 Bloor St. E., and houses most of its Toronto-based media and corporate operations. The company also boasts a major corporate office in Brampton at 8200 Dixie Rd., which houses roughly 5,000 employees. According to its 2024 annual report, the company's workforce includes 24,000 employees. 

The company joins a growing list of Canadian employers pulling back on hybrid work arrangements, which became the "new normal" during the pandemic. Last week, TD Bank announced a similar move, asking employees to return to the office four days a week starting this fall. 

Canada's other big banks are also following suit, including the Royal Bank of Canada, Scotiabank, and Bank of Montreal (BMO), which have all introduced similar return-to-office mandates beginning in September. BMO says its policy will take effect starting Sept. 15. 

In a memo to TD employees, Chief Human Resources Officer Melanie Burns said the bank has found that working in person supports collaboration, decision-making, learning, and career development, adding that in-person work plays a role in strengthening company culture. 

Although some companies continue to embrace remote and hybrid work, recent moves by major employers suggest that many are prioritizing a return to traditional office environments. Still, Rogers employees still have several months to adjust before the shift to full-time office work becomes mandatory.