City of Saskatoon eyes return of staff to workplace

All City of Saskatoon staff, except those approved to permanently work from home, will return to the workplace no later than Feb. 1, 2022, according to an administration report.

The transition period is set to start Dec. 15, in which staff are encouraged to return to the office either full-time or for partial days or in-person meetings.

"Average weekly cases, positivity rate, and effective reproduction rate ... have returned to a level where it has been determined that it is safe to return to the workplace," the report says.

Those factors are in addition to the proof of vaccination policy, which combined with health and safety protocols to reduce transmission ensure the safety of staff, the report says.

The report proposes that in-person council and committee meetings resume Feb. 1, 2022 to align with the full return of staff. But those meetings could also resume as early as Jan. 10.

Full public attendance would be allowed and the following guidelines would be in place:

• Masks are required to be worn by all attendees, including Council, at all times.
• All attendees, including council, must submit proof of full COVID-19 vaccination or negative test.
• All attendees must attest that they are not showing any signs of COVID-19 and have not been ordered to quarantine or self-isolate.

The report was received as information on Monday by the city's governance and priorities committee.