In mid-August, Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced more than 60,000 Ontario public service workers would return to a four-day in-office work week starting in October, before returning to the five-day in-person schedule of the pre-covid days in January 2026. The announcement followed similar moves from Canada’s big banks, including Scotiabank, BMO, TD, and RBC, all of which will require workers to be in office for at least four days a week starting this fall.

The news has been met with mixed reactions from workers themselves, but the return-to-office (RTO) trend undeniably bodes well for commercial real estate — particularly the office and and retail markets — in cities where these businesses and government offices are located.

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