While certain statements may have 'conveyed reassurance or an intention to maintain telework,' they were ‘consistently framed in non‑absolute terms,' says tribunal

A recent ruling offers encouraging news for employers’ rights when it comes to calling workers back to the office.

TELUS Communications did not breach its collective agreement when it required certain Quebec customer service employees to work on site three days a week, a labour arbitrator has ruled.

In a Feb. 5, 2026 award, the Labour Arbitration Tribunal in Quebec dismissed a grievance by the Syndicat québécois des employés de TELUS, Local 5044 – CUPE, which challenged the company’s decision to modify telework arrangements for approximately 120 office employees working in consumer customer service.

The case centred on TELUS’s July 10, 2024 announcement that affected employees, who had worked almost exclusively from home since the start of the COVID‑19 pandemic, would be required to return to the office three days per week. The measure was initially set to take effect on Sept. 15, 2024, then postponed to Jan. 8, 2025.

Union’s claims and TELUS’s response

The union alleged that TELUS unilaterally and arbitrarily altered telework programs contrary to the 2023–2028 collective agreement. It also argued that the employer was barred by promissory estoppel from changing course after allegedly suggesting that a return to in‑person work “would never happen.”

The union said many employees had made significant personal and...

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