Only 9% of white-collar workers want full-time office work; most would resist or quit if forced back
Just 9 percent of professional, financial, and knowledge sector workers in Canada say they want to return to the office full-time, according to new findings from the Angus Reid Institute.
This preference gap emerges as major employers—such as TD, RBC, and BMO—enforce stricter return-to-office policies.
Yet, the majority of those with remote experience (76 percent) say they prefer to continue working primarily from home.
Only 59 percent of the general population shares that view, highlighting a stronger resistance among those with prior remote exposure.
Among those currently working from home, only 28 percent say they would return to the office without issue if asked. A larger share—32 percent—would comply but begin considering other options.
Another 24 percent say they would likely quit if forced to return, a sentiment that poses retention challenges for employers attempting to reshape in-office expectations.
Women between ages 35 and 54—many of whom may carry heavier responsibilities at home—show a particularly high preference for full-time remote work, with 37 percent stating they would choose that arrangement if possible.
Workers in this demographic may view remote work as a way to balance household and childcare obligations.
Perceived benefits of working from home include reduced commuting (78 percent), improved mental health (49 percent), and savings on childcare, particularly for those with young children (27 percent).
These perceived advantages continue to influence work preference decisions, even as the broader labour market shifts toward in-office mandates.
Still, working from home is not without drawbacks.
Among all respondents, 46 percent cite both social isolation and difficulty separating work from personal life as leading concerns.
Distraction at home (40 percent) and limited collaboration (37 percent) are also noted.
These issues appear more acute for younger adults aged 18 to 24, 56 percent of whom identify social isolation as a problem.
Overall, more than half of working-age Canadians (57 percent) believe employees are just as productive—or more so—at home than in the office. That number rises to 73 percent among those with work-from-home experience, suggesting confidence in remote productivity remains high.
As of July 2025, 29 percent of Canadians currently work from home for at least part of the week, while 51 percent say they have done so at some point in their career.
Among this group, 72 percent say they work either fully remotely or spend most of their time outside the office.
A hybrid model remains common, with 35 percent of hybrid workers required to be on-site for most of the week, and 38 percent required for only one or two days. The rest (28 percent) report no formal in-office requirement.
Compliance with employer mandates varies.
Among those given a minimum number of in-office days, 58 percent say they always follow the policy, while 28 percent mostly comply, and 7 percent say they rarely meet the requirement.
Public sector data from February found that compliance in federal departments could drop as low as 31 percent, depending on the month.
Half of those asked to return to the office say they were “upset” (24 percent) or “very upset” (27 percent) by the change, compared to only 17 percent who said they were pleased.
Despite this, 72 percent of those asked to return agreed to the request.
However, 23 percent acknowledged they were not meeting their in-office obligations, and 5 percent quit altogether.
