Canadian Government Executive - Volume 26 - Issue 02

March/April 2020 // Canadian Government Executive / 27 Governing Digitally The benefits of flexible work are well-documented. One recent study, for example, by researchers at the University of Guelph estimated that an average commuter in Southwestern Ontario could save as much as $12,000 annually by working from home three days a week. Many of those workers, of course, are driving to Toronto, a city besieged by some of the worst automobile con- gestion levels on the continent. At the same time, it is equally important to recognize that the emerging virtual workplace is highly bifurcated in two funda- mental ways: mobile skills and income on the one hand, and the nature of work (that may or may not be suited to virtual ar- rangements) on the other hand. In the coronavirus context, for example, we see technology companies such as Twitter effec- tively mandating its entire workforce to (temporarily) work from home; whereas Uber drivers and many public service providers are obligated to serve clients with more direct forms of human interaction and heighted risks. To its credit, the Trudeau government has established a high- level Cabinet Sub-Committee to address coronavirus prepara- tions and mitigation strategies, including economic disruption. Once the worst of the health crisis has passed, the challenge for the government – and all governments and sectors collectively – will be to look forward and think more creatively in a proactive rather than reactive manner. In doing so, the key is embracing digitization as an enabler of workplace and training innovation for economic opportunity, social cohesion and environmental sustainability. Governments can lead by example in facilitating virtual work teams, online training platforms, and more flexible and adaptive human re- source systems for all workers. While some policies exist today, they are often viewed as exceptional – while the gravity of tradi- tion compel many to be seen in the office even at the expense of optimizing performance. Ongoing digital divides – especially between urban centres and more rural and remote regions – also greatly constrain the virtual capacities of both individuals and organizations. As 5G emerges as the next generation of wireless infrastructure, Can- ada should follow the lead of countries such as India and Aus- tralia that have specifically targeted rural broadband deploy- ments: otherwise the risk of rural stagnation will accelerate (as I argued last year: Volume 25, Issue 3). Underscoring this point, Ontario’s abandonment of man- datory e-learning courses for students is owed partly to re- sistance from within many rural communities lacking suf- ficiently reliable and affordable broadband coverage. While the Ontario effort was poorly conceived (and launched in an environment of hostile relations with teachers), the notion of at least partly shifting educational delivery online is now the lifeblood of many students in countries hardest hit thus far by the coronavirus. Even in more normal times, the potential benefits of e-learning in a typical Canadian winter are glar- ingly obvious. In sum, while the short-term focus of governments must be on containing a global health crisis, the medium-term strategy should be adapting our notions of workplace and learning to a world complex, more interdependent, and evermore virtual. J effrey R oy is professor in the School of Public Administra- tion at Dalhousie University (roy@dal.ca ).