Could Trump putting remote work on the chopping block impact Canadians?

U.S. President Donald Trump wants federal employees back in the office.

After the COVID-19 pandemic made working from home quite common, Trump wants things in the U.S. to return to how they were before.

So far, there’s no sign Canadians’ work-from-home model will change. Federal workers recently negotiated a deal that allows for two work-from-home days a week.

And Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre recently said while he would cut down on federal public service jobs if elected, he isn’t opposed to them working from home – as long as their work gets done.

Paul Bellows, the senior director of public sector strategy at Northern Commerce, doesn’t understand the push to mandate in-person work.

“It completely baffles me,” Bellows told CityNews.

His team at Northern Commerce works remotely. Bellows says working from home doesn’t create problems, it just reveals them.

“If you can’t see the work happening in your organization, if you can’t measure and see the outcomes, that’s your problem,” he said. “That you don’t know how to manage work.”

CityNews spoke to Edmontonians downtown to see what they think of remote work, in-person work or a more hybrid model.

“The entire office should come together at least one day a week,” one person said. “So people can actually look at each other and communicate in a better more efficient way. … I would prefer to be in an office because I get stuff done faster.”

“I work hybrid right now, so I like working in the office when I can,” another said. “Being able to work when I can but also when I’m sick, being able to lay in bed and do work.”

“Working from home, I really like that I don’t have to commute,” added a third. “That’s a huge benefit that I don’t really want to give up.”