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Howard Levitt: Don't fall for ‘No-work Fridays’ — there are better ways to build a happy workplace

Employers can foster an environment of trust without jeopardizing productivity by allowing work-from-home

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By Howard Levitt and Jeffrey Buchan

The workplace landscape has been transformed by the pandemic. For many, the idea of commuting to a physical office became a distant memory. Many consider remote work to be not only more efficient but also an undeniable right. This sentiment has led to a deeply ingrained sense of entitlement among employees to those cherished work-from-home days.

Fast forward to 2025, and employers are increasingly pushing for a return to the office, with many embracing at least a hybrid work model. But how are employees responding to these shifts? Unfortunately, the answer isn’t as straightforward as you might hope.

A concerning trend has begun to take hold: employees are taking matters into their own hands. While we’ve previously discussed the dangers of “quiet vacationing” — a term for employees checking out mentally without officially taking time off — there’s a new, equally problematic phenomenon emerging: No-work Fridays.

This trend appears to be an act of rebellion against return-to-office policies, with employees justifying their refusal to work on Fridays and having a three-day weekend as the “least” employers can do for them, given the disruptions to their once-favoured remote work routine. It’s an attitude rooted in entitlement, one that believes a hybrid or office-first model should come with relaxed expectations for the workweek.

In recent years, the concept of a four-day workweek has gained traction, with some companies experimenting with less work or no work at all on Fridays. However, just because an employee may feel wronged for being forced back to the office, it does not mean they are able to unilaterally decide to take a shorter workweek. Without an employment contract or policy in place that permits this, such conduct can (and should) lead to progressive discipline up to and including termination for cause.

This emerging trend of employees deciding to skip work on Fridays is more than just an inconvenience — it’s a direct challenge to workplace order and productivity. Employers must respond with clarity and consistency, ensuring that employees understand the boundaries of acceptable work behaviour. Further, and to avoid the dangers of employees’ increasing propensity to slack on work from home days, employers are well-advised to call their employees back to the office as soon as they are able.

While trust in the employer-employee relationship is key to the overall success of a business, this trust can often be taken advantage of. Far too many resources are spent ensuring employees are remaining productive while working from home, whether it be through remote monitoring technology, random check-ins, or the implementation of specific performance metrics.

There are numerous ways an employer can foster an environment of trust without jeopardizing productivity by allowing work-from-home or hybrid models. Some of these include:

1. Transparency — Employers should clearly communicate workplace expectations to employees, and consistently apply them to everyone;

2. Increased autonomy in carrying out tasks — As an employee develops and grows in an organization, employers can show their trust by providing that employee an increasing amount of autonomy in the way they carry out their tasks, as well as providing them with increased responsibility; and,

3. Responding to employee feedback in meaningful ways — When employees provide genuine feedback on how things could be improved, employers shouldn’t just pay them lip service. Employees who feel they have input on how things are run will be more engaged and have greater trust that any concerns will be addressed by their leadership.

Employers have undeniably felt pressured to allow their employees to work from home, whether it be entirely or under a hybrid model, in order to attract and retain high-level talent. This has left employees with a certain amount of leverage to support their demands for such arrangements, as they can still rely on the argument that, “If you don’t allow me to do it here, I will leave and find an employer who will.”

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But this leverage is quickly disappearing as the pendulum swings from COVID-era attitudes back to working in the office being the norm. That shift will only be accelerated by United States President Donald Trump‘s requirement that all U.S. federal employees to return to the office full-time. Indeed, the body of employers willing to allow employees to work from home is shrinking quickly and, combined with a weakening economy and ultra-competitive job market, that means employers will soon regain the upper hand.

Given the changing sentiment, employers are well-advised not to fall into the trap of feeling they have to provide their employees with whatever they demand when it comes to working from home. In our office, we permit work from home one day a week, but it cannot be on a Monday or Friday to avoid an effective long weekend.

Howard Levitt is senior partner of Levitt LLP, employment and labour lawyers with offices in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. He practises employment law in eight provinces and is the author of six books, including the Law of Dismissal in Canada.Jeff Buchan is a lawyer with Levitt Sheikh.

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