More and more companies are reversing course on remote work, requiring a full return to the office.

However, according to an Angus Reid survey, 79% of workers prefer a hybrid arrangement. And among those forced back to the office, nearly 50% report frustration. That dissatisfaction often leads to resignations… and then to difficulty recruiting talent willing to return to the office full time.

Why this pullback, when in practice nothing prevents the work from being done remotely in 2025, especially in corporate environments that are already digitized, automated, and cloud-based?

The argument we hear most often:

“It fosters better team dynamics.”
“It’s easier to ask a question in person.”
“The work gets done better face to face.”
“Everyone used to be in the office and no one complained.”

But is that really enough to impose a fully on-site model?

Today, collaborative tools, virtual meetings, and management platforms make remote work just as effective, if not more so. And “the way things used to be” is no longer a benchmark. Society has evolved. Going backward means ignoring how the world of work has changed. A bit like questioning women’s right to vote on the grounds that it did not always exist. A right is no less legitimate for being recent.

Some employers fear that remote work means a loss of productivity, or even time theft. But an employee acting in bad faith can cheat regardless of where they are, at the office as much as at home. Leaving early, stretching breaks, repeatedly wasting time… it is not the location that makes the difference, but the intent.

Moreover, the Act respecting labour standards and the Civil Code of Québec provide that employees must perform their work loyally, place the company’s interests ahead of their own in the course of their work, and act honestly.

In cases of proven and documented time theft, the employer is entitled to pursue the appropriate remedies.

The key in 2025 is not to impose, but to provide structure and offer choice. It means setting a clear framework, evaluating performance on the basis of concrete results, hiring people you can trust, and putting rigorous processes in place from the moment of hiring. It also means allowing those who want to work fully on site to do so, while maintaining a hybrid policy for everyone else.