Just nine per cent of professional workers would prefer traveling to the office if asked to return full-time. Across the finance and knowledge sectors, the majority of employees would rather not give up remote work if possible.

The Angus Reid Institute surveyed 1,918 Canadian adults between July 18 to 22, 2025, to gauge their perspectives as major banking institutions like TD, RBC, and BMO mandate more required on-site days. Within this sample, 29 per cent currently work remotely for at least part of the work week, 23 per cent have done so at some point in their career and half have no experience working remotely.

Commute savings and improved mental well-being are the top perceived benefits of the work-from-home model. One-quarter of those with children at home (27 per cent) say savings in childcare would be a perk, while an increased ability to focus is yet another benefit. Amid a housing affordability crisis, more than 43 per cent see the appeal of more housing options further from the workplace. This level reaches half or higher among young men and women.

Compliance differs among those who have been asked back by employers. An estimated 72 per cent said they returned and followed the policy, 5 per cent quit, and 23 per cent agreed to the request, but admit that they often spend fewer days than required in office.

At the height of the pandemic, 40 per cent of Canadians in the work force were working most of their hours from home compared to seven per cent who were doing so in 2016. According to the most recent data from Statistics Canada from November 2023, 20 per cent of Canadians now work most of their time at home.

Over the years, more people have become entrenched in remote work. Those Angus Reid respondents reported feeling much more resistant to a return to office. Just three-in-10 said if their current employer demanded them back they would do so without any complications. The largest group (32 per cent) said they would return but consider other options, while 24 per cent said they would likely quit.

Those who have returned are not happy. One-quarter convey feeling “very upset” while a similar number are “upset.” One-in-three said it made no real difference to them, while 17 per cent were pleased.

Among those who have worked from home, the biggest challenges are social isolation and disconnection from co-workers. Young women are more likely to say they felt isolated. Other drawbacks to remote work were fewer opportunities to collaborate, the lack of division between work and personal life and more distractions.

On the upside, more than half of Canadians younger than 65 believe workers are just as, if not more, productive at home compared to on site. Among those with work-from-home experience this is overwhelmingly the view.

While employees of Canada’s major banks prepare for more in-office time, this isn’t the experience for many Canadian white-collar workers. Two-thirds (65 per cent) said they have not been asked to work more days in the office than they had agreed to. One-third were asked back full time and 11 per cent had to increase slightly on-site time.