Manulife set to reopen Canadian offices in late January

Manulife plans to reopen its Canadian and U.S. offices on Jan. 24, with some employees on hybrid models that will bring them into the workplace three days a week.

Manulife Financial Corp. plans to reopen its Canadian and U.S. offices on Jan. 24, with some employees on hybrid models that will bring them into the workplace three days a week.

Many workers will visit the office on Mondays, Wednesdays and one additional flex day per week, Chief Executive Officer Roy Gori and the firm’s executive leadership team said in a memo to staff on Friday. 

“We have listened to your feedback, heard from medical experts and government officials, and talked with our peers across the market,” the executives said in the memo. “Our goal is to balance the flexibility many of us have enjoyed as a silver lining to the pandemic with our amazing on-campus culture where we can get it done together.”

Manulife’s announcement comes two days after Bank of Nova Scotia, Canada’s third-largest lender by assets, set Jan. 17 as the date it would start a phased return to office. Canada’s other large banks have had some portion of their workforces back in the office, without publicly setting a firm date for a large-scale return. 

Toronto-based Manulife operates in the U.S. through the John Hancock brand.