The employer was entitled to require employees to return to the workplace three days per week

The union challenges the employer’s decision to require employees who have been working remotely since the beginning of the pandemic to return to the workplace three days per week. The employer maintains that it complied with the collective agreement. He also implemented a voluntary departure program and reviewed employees’ accommodation requests. According to the arbitrator, the collective agreement allowed the employer to terminate the remote work arrangement without the union’s consent, provided that he informed the union, met with it, and reviewed with it the changes to the remote work program, which the employer did. The arbitrator did not accept the union’s argument that a promise had been made that there would no longer be any in-person work. The arbitrator also concluded that the employer had not exercised its management rights unreasonably, as the decision was made following a thoughtful analysis and after several options had been considered with a view to improving performance. The grievance is dismissed.

Syndicat québécois des employés de Telus, section locale 5044 – SCFP  et Telus Communication inc., 2026EXPT-480, 2026 QCTA 48, M^e Marc Mancini