» Canada is leading world in WFH and it’s quietly changing way we eat

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Canada now leads the world in remote work among college-educated professionals, with nearly two full workdays per week spent at home, according to the latest Global Survey of Working Arrangements. That’s more than the United Kingdom, the United States, India, or Nigeria.

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This might appear to be just another workplace statistic, but it carries significant implications — not only for how Canadians work, but for how they eat, shop, and manage their time.

The shift to hybrid work is more than a matter of convenience. It’s a structural transformation that is quietly rewriting the script for our food economy. When people commute less, they eat out less. The rhythm of daily meals has changed. Downtown cafes and food courts are seeing thinner crowds, while grocery stores, delivery services, and meal kits are becoming more central to everyday sustenance. The kitchen table has re-emerged as the new lunchroom for millions of Canadians.

For grocers and food providers, this represents a significant shift. Workers who spend more time at home now shop more frequently, at off-peak hours, and often expect fresh ingredients, smaller packaging, and seamless online delivery. We’re seeing a rise in demand for smaller-format grocery stores in suburban and residential zones, and more emphasis on convenience without sacrificing quality. Retailers must adjust to this evolving consumer — one who lives and works in the same space and sees food purchases as both a necessity and a lifestyle choice.

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Yet these changes also highlight emerging risks and inequities. While home cooking can mean better control over ingredients, it assumes people have the time, knowledge and equipment to prepare healthy meals. That’s not the case for everyone. Remote work may empower some to eat better, but it could just as easily widen the nutrition gap for others.

Affordability remains a key concern. Cooking at home is often cheaper than eating out, but only if grocery prices are manageable. Food inflation, though easing slightly, continues to outpace overall inflation. Canadians working from home aren’t just spending more time in the kitchen — they’re spending more money on groceries, and many are feeling the strain.

Food waste is another concern. With more groceries purchased and more meals prepared at home, there is greater potential for overbuying and underusing. Misunderstood date labels, poor storage habits, and unrealistic meal planning are all contributing to what is now an estimated almost $2,000 per year in food waste per household.

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And then there’s the broader question many are beginning to ask: What does all this mean for productivity?

The benefits of remote work are well-documented — less commuting, more flexibility, better work-life balance. But there is growing concern that the shift may also come with hidden costs, particularly in sectors that depend on collaboration, creative exchange, and informal communication. Productivity data in Canada has been mixed, and some employers are quietly questioning whether hybrid arrangements are delivering the long-term efficiencies once promised.

For food-related industries — retail, foodservice, distribution — fewer people downtown also means fewer spontaneous purchases, fewer business lunches, and weaker demand in key urban markets. These effects ripple through the economy.

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In short, Canada’s work-from-home culture is not just changing office life — it’s reshaping our food systems, our spending habits, and possibly our productivity.

If we’re going to lead the world in remote work, we must also lead in understanding its consequences. Policymakers and business leaders need to consider food literacy, equitable access to ingredients, and strategies to minimize household waste alongside workplace planning. The kitchen is no longer just where we eat — it’s where the effects of economic change are being felt most immediately.

— Dr. Sylvain Charlebois is the Director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University and co-host of The Food Professor Podcast

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