Thank you, Mr. Speaker. We have seen significant change to the way we do work during this pandemic. We have seen parents juggling both childcare and their jobs, virtual care being delivered from back porches, and work emails delivered in the middle of the night. I, myself, have practically moved my office into my constituency assistant's living room.
If the work week doesn't change as a result of the last few months, we'll have learned nothing, Mr. Speaker. I am not just talking about within government, but globally. Two lessons I believe we should take away from the recent response to COVID-19 are:
1. All people have different needs, and there is no one ideal working environment.
2. People work better when they are rested and their mental health is prioritized.
Mr. Speaker, to realize these lessons, I believe that we should continue to allow GNWT employees to work from home, even after restrictions have been lifted. I am happy to see, in the recent plan for GNWT workers returning, that childcare considerations and accessibility concerns will be prioritized. I think we need to continue that and make it a lasting legacy of COVID-19. In addition, Mr. Speaker, I believe we need to explore the idea of implementing a four-day work week for those workers who want it.
Many GNWT staff will be working from home for the foreseeable future. There is a possibility that, even when restrictions ease and GNWT employees can return to their offices, many will prefer to stay home. I see this as an opportunity to improve working conditions for those who prefer to work from home. As days grow longer, I see no better time to implement a four-day work week. If we want to encourage domestic tourism, Mr. Speaker, why not give summer long weekends to all of our residents?
Mr. Speaker, I recognize that this will take some time, but I believe we can start now temporarily and see what works and what doesn't work. I believe we should reach out to businesses in the private sector to see what barriers they see to implementing a shorter work week. I will have questions for the Minister responsible for Human Resources. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.