While many workplaces have adopted hybrid setups in the wake of the pandemic, employment experts say workers should be cautious about using this added flexibility to work from home when feeling ill.

It’s a situation that some observers of remote work trends say could become more prevalent as companies make their hybrid work arrangements more and more permanent.

“There is a slight return to […] a comfort level for people who want to do something even if they don’t feel 100%, but that’s certainly not the case for everyone,” observes John Trougakos, professor of organizational behavior and human resources management at the University of Toronto.

As COVID-19 cases soar in Canada due to the arrival of two new variants — and with the usual cold and flu season approaching — labor lawyer Brittany Taylor points out that t’s crucial that employers and employees take the time now to think about how to manage sick leave.

“I expect these issues will be discussed more as we head into the fall,” says Ms. Taylor, a partner at Rudner Law.

The growing popularity of hybrid work arrangements has been documented throughout the past year. In May, 41% of Canadian telecommuting workers had hybrid schedules, splitting their time between the office and home, according to a report released last month by Indeed Canada. In comparison, there were 25% in this situation a year earlier.

This growing alignment could mean that the combination of in-office and remote working is here to stay.

Stephen Harrington, national leader of workforce strategy at Deloitte Canada, points out that while many Canadian organizations have plans for how their employees can work flexibly, he hasn’t seen much rules regarding sick leave.

“Organizations are in the early days of figuring out exactly how [this system] will work for themselves and their staff,” Harrington says.

People who work from home, even part of the time, are much more likely to consider working while sick than those who work in the office, he points out.

But that poses risks to the worker, who could make their illness worse by not getting adequate rest, Harrington observes. This is also a risk for the employer, as there is evidence that people are not as efficient and are more likely to make mistakes when working while sick.

Employees in hybrid work situations should proactively ask their managers for clarification on the degree of accommodation they should expect during illness and teleworking, Taylor continued, particularly when there is no is impractical or dangerous to enter the office.

They should, for example, check whether they are allowed to work from home when they are sick on a day when they should be in the office, and if so, whether that means they have to come into the office another day in return.

“Will it be a one-for-one scenario, or will it be much more flexible? she asked.

“Ultimately, unless [an employee’s] contract of employment gives them the right to work from home at their discretion, the employer has the right to set the rules about the workplace, including including times when teleworking is authorized. So understanding these rules as an employee is key. »

Trougakos believes companies would do well to adopt hybrid work models that are less “rigid” in terms of when staff need to report to the office.

“If it’s not a well-thought-out model and it’s just cookie-cutter applied saying, ‘Well, you have to be there for x number of days’ without any flexibility, then employers are going to run into a some resistance from employees,” he said.

Sunira Chaudhri, founder and partner at Workly Law, notes that while workplaces have made efforts to offer accommodations in recent years, the balance of power has started to favor the employer again. Some employers even use software to monitor their employees’ productivity while working remotely.

“I think flexibility comes at a cost,” says Chaudhri.

“Employers tend to no longer be as lenient or tolerant of greater vacation and sick leave policies with remote workers. »

Ms. Chaudhri adds that it is important for employers to set clear limits on whether they will even allow their staff members to work when they are sick. She urges employees to respect these limits when they are set.

Offering to work from home when sick can blur the lines, Chaudhri said.

“No employee should work while sick. A sick day should be a sick day, and confirming that and being very clear […] actually increases morale. This increases communication and reduces potential friction. »