Scotiabank plans phased return-to-office for mid-January

Scotia plans to start a phased return-to-office plan for headquarters employees who are still working remotely on Jan. 17, marking a major commitment for a broad return from one of Canada’s largest banks.

Bank of Nova Scotia plans to start a phased return-to-office plan for headquarters employees who are still working remotely on Jan. 17, marking the first of Canada’s largest banks to set a specific date for a broad return. 

The return will be staggered for different groups, and the majority of head-office employees will be working in a hybrid model, spokesman Clancy Zeifman said in an e-mailed statement Wednesday. All employees at Toronto-based Scotiabank will be required to follow the bank’s mandatory vaccination policy.

Canada’s banks have kept the majority of their headquarters employees working remotely as the country has maintained many of its pandemic safety measures into the fall. Scotiabank’s target date for a broad return was selected based on guidance from medical advisers and in consultation with the government, Zeifman said.

“Recognizing that one size does not fit all, different groups will have different considerations regarding which activities should be conducted in person and which can be done virtually,” he said.

Scotiabank, Canada’s third-largest lender by total assets, has been offering a voluntary, hybrid working model for senior leaders and select teams in the Toronto area since Oct. 1, Zeifman said, noting that many branch and operations workers have remained on-site throughout the pandemic. 

Canada’s other large banks have had some portion of their workforces back in the office, but have yet to publicly set a firm date for a large-scale return. Most of Royal Bank of Canada’s 61,000 employees in Canada are still working from home, while branch workers and others in critical roles have remained on-site, spokesman Rafael Ruffolo said in an emailed statement last week.