{"id":1265,"date":"2025-08-28T01:28:32","date_gmt":"2025-08-28T05:28:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/?p=1265"},"modified":"2025-10-10T04:14:52","modified_gmt":"2025-10-10T08:14:52","slug":"questions-youre-afraid-to-ask-about-returning-to-the-office","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/blog\/questions-youre-afraid-to-ask-about-returning-to-the-office\/","title":{"rendered":"Questions you&#8217;re afraid to ask about returning to the office"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull blog-template-header has-neutral-100-background-color has-background has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--16)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\"><div style=\"--bb--crumb-gap:.4em;\" class=\"blog-template-breadcrumb wp-block-employmentherocom2025-breadcrumb-block\"><nav role=\"navigation\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumbs\" class=\"breadcrumb\"><ol class=\"breadcrumb-items\"><li class=\"breadcrumb-item breadcrumb-item--current breadcrumb-item--home\"><span class=\"breadcrumb-item-name\">Home<\/span><\/li><\/ol><\/nav><script type=\"application\/ld+json\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"item\":{\"name\":\"Home\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/employmenthero.com\\\/en-ca\\\/\"}}]}<\/script><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-tags-row is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-4 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--9)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-tags is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-1 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex 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you&#8217;re afraid to ask about returning to the office<\/h1><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-9 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-query wp-block-hosts-query has-global-padding is-content-justification-left is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-query-is-layout-1 wp-block-query-is-layout-constrained\"><ul data-wp-interactive=\"eh-hosts\" class=\"wp-block-post-template is-layout-flow wp-container-core-post-template-is-layout-1 wp-block-post-template-is-layout-flow\"><li data-host-index=\"0\" data-wp-on--click=\"actions.openDetail\" class=\"wp-block-post post-152 hosts type-hosts status-publish hentry\">\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-7 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-sm-font-size is-vertical is-content-justification-center is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-6 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><h6 class=\"has-text-align-center has-link-color wp-elements-c7558c1c9e2b60b85b89e09ed14c4c61 wp-block-post-title has-text-color has-violet-500-color has-sm-font-size\">Jessica Johnson<\/h6><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/li><\/ul><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group blog-template-meta-row is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-8 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\">\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-sm-font-size\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-700);border-left-width:1px;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2)\">Published<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date has-sm-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2025-08-28T01:28:32-04:00\">Aug 28, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-sm-font-size\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-700);border-left-width:1px;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2)\">Updated<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-date__modified-date wp-block-post-date has-sm-font-size\"><time datetime=\"2025-10-10T04:14:52-04:00\">Oct 10, 2025<\/time><\/div>\n\n<p class=\"has-sm-font-size\" style=\"border-left-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-700);border-left-width:1px;padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--2)\"><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull blog-image-container has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter size-large is-resized blog-template-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2021\/07\/Questions-youre-afraid-to-ask-HR-about-employer-branding-1024x576.webp\" alt=\"Questions you\u2019re afraid to ask HR about employer branding\" class=\"wp-image-3955\" style=\"aspect-ratio:16\/9;object-fit:cover;width:864px\"\/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:66px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-1 wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:30%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group sticky-side-panel is-vertical is-content-justification-stretch is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-13 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex wp-container-2 is-position-sticky\">\n<p class=\"has-lg-font-size\" style=\"border-bottom-color:var(--wp--preset--color--neutral-200);border-bottom-width:0.1rem;padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4)\"><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"content-single-table-content\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:70%\">\n<div id=\"content-wrapper\" class=\"wp-block-group content-wrapper has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-container-core-group-is-layout-14 wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--4)\">\n<p>It\u2019s time for another round of questions. This month, we\u2019re honing in on the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/toronto.ctvnews.ca\/toronto-businesses-pulling-back-on-sublet-space-as-return-to-office-looms-report-1.5514779\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">\u201cback to the office\u201d<\/a>&nbsp;buzz. While this glimpse of normalcy can be exciting, we understand your concerns and anxieties surrounding the topic, and we\u2019re here to help make that transition (or non-transition) as smooth as possible. Here are our answers to your HR questions:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019m nervous about catching COVID-19 upon returning to my workplace. How do I know my employer will keep me safe?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s important to remember that returning to the office&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ctvnews.ca\/health\/coronavirus\/returning-to-the-workplace-your-office-might-look-a-little-bit-different-1.5507474\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">doesn\u2019t mean the COVID-19 pandemic is over<\/a>. Your employer will be required to abide by regional occupational health and safety guidelines, which could include physical distancing and one-way office \u2018traffic\u2019 controlled by arrows on the floor.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Your employer should keep an open line of communication in implementing their back to office plan, making clear whether personal protective equipment (PPE) will be required, if desks will be six feet apart, and if employees have the option to stay home.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s also perfectly okay if you feel more comfortable working remotely right now, or permanently. Speak to Human Resources about what works best for you.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/article\/374081\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Communication is pivotal<\/a>&nbsp;in this process, and if you\u2019re unsure or hesitant about your employer\u2019s back to office plan, reach out.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I\u2019m hesitant about the vaccine. Can my employer refuse me access to the office if I don\u2019t get it?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While we encourage those who are able to get vaccinated to do their part, employers and health professionals recognize the reasons why some may not be vaccinated, like having a disability, health issues, or holding certain religious beliefs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The COVID-19 vaccine is currently not mandatory for employees in Ontario, and&nbsp;employees don\u2019t have to disclose their vaccination status. While some employers may choose to mandate a policy requiring your team to be vaccinated to enter the office, it is likely that most will instead require employees to practice physical distancing, wear personal protective equipment (PPE), and perhaps participate in rapid onsite testing.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">I feel more comfortable working remotely and am not interested in going back to the office. How do I navigate this conversation with my employer?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While the last 18 months have been difficult, it has shown us that we can accomplish great work from just about anywhere. For those of us at Humi, we believe it&#8217;s important to feel supported regardless of where and when we are working, which is why we\u2019re giving our team the option to come back into the office or work fully remote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The world of work is changing and many employers recognize this. Meet with HR and discuss your options in the realm of employer expectations. If you\u2019ve proven to be&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/huddle.today\/do-canadian-workers-believe-working-from-home-increases-productivity\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">productive from home<\/a>&nbsp;over the last while, there shouldn\u2019t be a reason for them to decline \u2013 especially as remote work allows employers and employees to&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/commentisfree\/2021\/jul\/07\/is-your-boss-ending-remote-work-as-a-ceo-let-me-tell-you-why-they-are-wrong\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">cut down on costs and time<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What happens if I get sick? What if someone close to me gets sick and I have to care for them? Will I have paid time off?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The ESA currently provides for&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ontario.ca\/document\/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0\/infectious-disease-emergency-leave\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">two infectious disease emergency leaves<\/a>&nbsp;relating to COVID-19 in Ontario. However, all employers should update their sick leave policy and clearly identify what their employees qualify for to put these worries at ease. If this isn\u2019t clearly communicated, check in with HR.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if there is a COVID-19 outbreak in my office? How will I know?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Employers shouldn\u2019t just work to prevent a crisis \u2013 they should be just as, if not more, prepared to deal with one if it happens. A crisis mitigation plan is in the very real circumstance that an outbreak occurs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Especially if you work in a shared office space, Ontario employers should abide by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/content\/dam\/canada\/employment-social-development\/migration\/documents\/assets\/portfolio\/docs\/en\/reports\/health_safety\/2A_Employer_and_Employee_Duties.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Occupational Health and Safety Guidelines<\/a>&nbsp;which outlines the \u201cresponsibilities employees and managers have to create a safe work environment.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">My company hired several workers remotely during the pandemic. How can we ensure they feel comfortable, safe, and included in our physical workspace when we go back to the office?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.chieflearningofficer.com\/2021\/07\/15\/what-remote-work-revealed-about-the-role-of-onboarding\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">An employee\u2019s onboarding experience<\/a>&nbsp;makes all the difference in their journey at your company \u2013 it&#8217;s not only a first impression of company culture, but it\u2019s also a great way for them to get to know their team. While many employers have implemented smooth virtual onboarding, those same employees who joined months ago may feel out of place stepping into the office for the first time.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It would be beneficial to do some extra onboarding, or&nbsp;<strong><em>re-onboarding<\/em>:<\/strong>&nbsp;The process of onboarding employees who were hired remotely into the physical workplace. This may include an office tour, special social events, and extra training for in-office tech.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As some of us may not return to the office full-time or at all, employers must be diligent to ensure everyone feels comfortable, safe, and included. Make sure you have a plan in place to communicate your expectations, including whether meeting rooms will have cameras for remote workers and if you will alternate between in-person and virtual events.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em><strong>Read more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/blog\/returning-to-the-office-social-media-roundup\/\">Returning to the office: social media roundup<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-content-justification-center is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-buttons-is-layout-2 wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\" data-trigger-modal=\"request-a-demo-modal\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\">Learn more<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group alignfull is-style-default has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-global-padding is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\" style=\"padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--20)\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-15 wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\" style=\"margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--10)\">\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related Resources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button is-style-link-arrow is-style-link-arrow--3\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link has-btn-brand-background-color has-background wp-element-button\" href=\"\/resources\/?topic%5B0%5D%5B0%5D=Product\">View all<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-query blog-3-col-query-loop is-layout-flow wp-block-query-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For this month&#8217;s questions, we told you to ask us your HR questions about returning to the office. Here are your answers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":3955,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_visual_mode":"business","_lite_auth_enabled":false,"_lite_auth_trigger_method":"scroll","_lite_auth_scroll_percent":25,"_lite_auth_click_element_query":"","exclude_from_algolia":false,"reading_time":"4 min read","display_reading_time":false,"download_content_type":"","download_file":"","download_url":"","download_cta_label":"","homepage_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[42,41,35,37],"resource-type":[30],"topic":[75],"learn_topic":[],"industry":[],"audience":[],"business-size":[],"product-tag":[],"funnel-stage":[],"region":[],"pain-point":[],"persona":[],"content_type":[],"post_features":[],"class_list":["post-1265","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorised","tag-covid-19","tag-culture","tag-hr","tag-workplace","resource-type-blog","topic-workplace"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1265"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7825,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1265\/revisions\/7825"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3955"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1265"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"resource-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource-type?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/topic?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"learn_topic","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/learn_topic?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"audience","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/audience?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"business-size","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business-size?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"product-tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/product-tag?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"funnel-stage","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/funnel-stage?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"region","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/region?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"pain-point","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pain-point?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"content_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content_type?post=1265"},{"taxonomy":"post_features","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/employmenthero.com\/en-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post_features?post=1265"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}