The Great (Canadian) Law Firm Reopening Tracker

[carlill]

With apologies to Above The Law's Tracker (https://abovethelaw.com/2021/04/law-office-reopening-tracker-2021/), here is a Topic for tracking Canadian firms' re-opening plans (Big, Medium, and Small).

It would be interesting to share:

(1) Intel on how the powers that be in your firm plan on getting you back into the physical offices (full return, phased return etc);

(2) The potential date for any return to the physical office; and

(3) The number of days you'll be required to be in the office.

Edited June 8, 2021 by carlill
Mistake

[Kurrika]

May want to include province. It may vary.

[carlill]

Agreed! Please include Province/Territory or City.

[Vizslaw]

- Flexible/Phased return to work. There will be no requirement to work in-person a specific number of days, at least not for the foreseeable future. We have been working from home since mid-March 2020, so no one here thinks you need to be at the office to get your work done. Sure it's easier, but you also can't re-watch movies on Netflix all day every day at work. We are a small firm of 8 and our new office is big enough that being in-person is not a problem, as we have 2 floors of a semi-detached house. Some will want to work 3 days in-person, while others want to go back to 5 days;  

- Potential return date of July 1, 2021. However, there is no rush and I would rather have healthy and safe staff. Numbers and vaccination rates are looking promising, but I want to see what happens with the latest variant out there. Our office has been under construction and will be ready by July 1, but there is no requirement to return to working in-person, as indicated above. 

- I also have the suspicion that a significant number of our hearings will continue to operate remotely, such as discipline hearings. So if a hearing is still being conducted over Zoom, we might opt to do those from home too. I dont think I can wear a suit and tie with shorts once we go back in person, so it's going to be hard to get the cat back into that bag.

- We are located in Toronto, if that matters.

 

[Jaggers]

We will be going slow and phasing people back in starting with volunteers. In addition to space constraints (we usually pack way more people in than we could with distancing requirements) there are issues with people being comfortable on transit, elevators, food courts, etc. So we won't be rushing people back, but are looking forward to giving people that option.

However, as of today, even though we are now in Step 1, it is still a legal requirement in Ontario to work from home if you can!

[pinball]

In Ontario as well. I've been told not to expect a return to the office in 2021.

[rocketship]

In Ontario - has anyone heard murmurings re: how return-to-work may vary for vaccinated vs. unvaccinated? I work on Bay and my firm's plans are basically TBD right now and I've heard nothing about how vaccinations may affect things. 

[CanLawUser]

My firm (Bay St) has basically told us not to expect a formal return to the office this year (though those wishing to do so still can, but must be jabbed).

[Jaggers]

I think that's probably pretty standard. Vaccine mandates will probably be in place pretty much across the board for people going into the office, but no one will be required to go in until we get a handle on what's happening with the current wave.

[BlockedQuebecois]

I know of at least 5 national firms with vaccine mandates for those returning to the office in all their offices. No clue what the consequences of not returning due to vaccination status will be, though. 

Some firms are also pairing it with rapid testing (Lenczner folks keep raving about it on Twitter), but that personally seems like overkill to me. 

[Blurg]

I’m aware of 2 mid sized boutiques in Toronto that have implemented mandatory vaccinations for all staff and lawyers with the suggestion seeming to be that termination would be on the table unless you can prove an exemption. This is second hand, and both seem to be firms that are keen to get people back in the office. 

[CanLawUser]

My firm is refusing to rule out termination as a possible outcome for the unvaccinated, tho the delay in return to office allows them to defer the hard decisions for now. Also, if were not for the Bay St exodus/braindrain, firms may have taken a tougher stance re jab policy across the board.

[tails]

I’m in Alberta and we were intending to return this fall, but clearly that’s not happening… I’m guessing it won’t be until spring now. 

[Jaggers]

Kind of funny (/not funny) that Alberta reopened and had the "best summer ever" and is now the only province operating under a mandatory work from home order.

[123]

The Alberta situation is hard to find funny, because of the seriousness of the crisis. 

Jason Kenney's political situation is very funny, and I hope that he is having the Worst Fall Ever.

[tails]

8 hours ago, Jaggers said:

Kind of funny (/not funny) that Alberta reopened and had the "best summer ever" and is now the only province operating under a mandatory work from home order.

Thanks for rubbing it in. LOL. It’s rough out here. 

7 hours ago, realpseudonym said:

The Alberta situation is hard to find funny, because of the seriousness of the crisis. 

Jason Kenney's political situation is very funny, and I hope that he is having the Worst Fall Ever.

Lots of Albertans are waiting for the leadership review in the spring that’s for sure. 

[Jaggers]

8 hours ago, realpseudonym said:

The Alberta situation is hard to find funny, because of the seriousness of the crisis. 

Jason Kenney's political situation is very funny, and I hope that he is having the Worst Fall Ever.

I don't think it's actually funny, but when they abruptly abandoned all public health restrictions, everyone was yelling about how it was just courting disaster. Then they said it would be the best summer ever. These people have made it to the very pinnacle of power in society, and they are fucking clueless.

[VeritasTruthEmet]

 

Voluntary return at the moment for lawyers

2 days a week is the standard, varies by office/city

Some people never stopped attending, others never intend to return in person.

Oh, and firm-wide (every province / every office) proof of vaccination is mandatory if you attend...