Intro

Hosts introduce today's topic: return-to-office mandates and their generational impacts.

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Episode notes

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down Ontario’s new return-to-office mandate and the big banks’ similar policies, asking what they really mean for younger workers and families already facing high housing costs, long commutes, and stagnant wages. They explore the trade-offs between productivity, commuting, and control, while producer Meredith Martin joins to share her perspective as a former union leader on mentorship, collaboration, and what might be lost if remote work fully takes over.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:15 Return to office mandates: An overview

04:22 What Premier Ford’s RTO mandate is trying to achieve

05:15 Impact on younger workers and families

06:55 Disconnect between RTO mandates and ESG targets

09:26 Meredith thinks humans should see each other IRL

12:43 The role of mentorship and social interaction at work

15:20 Debating how much office culture has changed

research/links:

Productivity During and Since the Pandemic

The Post-Pandemic Workplace: The Experiment Continues