Saskatoon office spaces start to see workers return

After two years in which many people were working from home, ICR Commercial real estate partner and senior sales associate Josh Walchuk is starting to see more tenants looking for office space.

“You're starting to see tenants look again, to sign leases and get into space where the last two years there was a lot of uncertainty."

His company oversees dozens of commercial buildings in Saskatoon.

Walchuk says tenants are considering whether they need as much room as they were using before the pandemic. Employers want to offer more flexibility to employees around working from home, he says.

“A lot of employees got used to working from home and some work better in that situation. But I know a lot of companies are also concerned about their corporate culture and how their culture is maintained when you've got a certain percentage of your staff working from home,” said Walchuk.

Vendasta Technologies vice president Jean Parchewsky said the company is giving people the choice of whether they'd like to return to the office.

About 50 per cent of its workforce has returned — the lowest it hit was five per cent during the pandemic.

The company has an employees lounge and it trying to lure employees back with a complimentary breakfast.

“A lot of people like to come back just for the camaraderie,” Parchewsky said.