Elizabethtown-Kitley councillor calls remote work ‘foolishness,’ introduces motion to ban work from home for Township staff
The Township of Elizabethtown-Kitley is deliberating the future of its remote work policy for municipal staff, a topic that sparked varied opinions among council members and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Rob Nolan.
In a council meeting on Monday, Feb. 24, the primary discussion centred on the pros and cons of the continuation of remote work arrangements that were initially adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Councillor Earle Brayton, who has served as a councillor for five terms, introduced twin motions about remote work, not shying away from his desire to get back to work in person and get this “foolishness” over with. Brayton’s second motion urges Council to instruct the CAO to not permit Township staff to work from home, to “ensure the effective delivery of Township services.”
In response to the motions, some council members expressed concerns about maintaining productivity and ensuring effective communication among staff, while others highlighted the benefits of flexibility and work-life balance that remote work offers.
In an interview with Brockvilleist, Brayton emphasized his belief that employees should be present in the workplace, and argued for a stricter uniformity in attendance policies. Brayton mentioned that since virtual meetings became commonplace in 2020, one councillor has missed many meetings and another resigned, though he did not mention specific names.
The longtime councillor acknowledged the benefit of having remote work options for the odd cases of illness or extreme weather, saying “It’s not the end of the world one way or the other, but it’s just the way I feel. I think if I don’t bring the motion forward, the rest of council might work virtually forever, right?”
He probed, “How would you feel? I know how I would feel, but how would you feel working in a place where on your side of the desk, you can’t have that day off? But some guy, if he’s a special person or whatever, can take a couple of days off and work from home. I don’t think that’s fair.”
With this ethos in mind, Councillor Brayton suggested at the Feb. 24 meeting that he thinks it’d be much easier for CAO Rob Nolan to run the municipal office “with everybody playing by the same rules.”
Nolan, who assumed the role of CAO for Elizabethtown-Kitley in November 2024, told Brockvilleist, “There has been no impact on productivity or workflow within the Township. To be clear, on any day of the work week, the vast majority of Township staff are in the office. If a member of staff needs to work from home, they will ask their supervisor for permission. If there are meetings that require a member of staff to be present, they will ensure that they are in the office.”
He elaborated, “Township staff have access to work phones (both office phones and in most cases a cell as well), a Township email and the ability to use virtual platforms to conduct meetings. All of this ensures that staff can conduct their work in an effective and efficient manner.”
To date, Nolan has not received any complaints from the public regarding being able to connect with staff at the Township, and he does not believe that customer service has been affected in any way. He reiterated that staff have access to multiple means of communicating with the public, and the Township has a communications standard that sets out the expectation for staff to respond to voice messages and emails within two days.
“For residents who come into the office looking to speak with a member of staff, if the staff member is unavailable or out of the office (not necessarily because they are working from home) they are given their contact details and asked to make an appointment to speak with the member of staff.”
The motion was deferred while the township will continue to evaluate its work-from-home policy and draft a staff report outlining the pros and cons of working from home. Nolan told Brockvilleist, “Council are also looking for a legal opinion regarding this possible policy change, what other municipalities are doing with respect to home working, and they are also wanting to understand the impact on staff.”
Council has not yet set a date for this report to come back to chambers, however, once the report is completed it will be introduced again during the next Council agenda for further debate. Brockvilleist will continue to provide information on this matter as it becomes available.