Toronto Blue Jays' push to 'work from dome' is actually a fun way to work remote

We've all gotten a little creative with our remote working habits in Toronto since the pandemic days pushed many industries into at least some sort of hybrid work model.

Personally, I've successfully completed parts of a standard work day amid the din of a packed cafe, on a busy downtown patio, in the waiting room of a doctor's office, on a TTC streetcar... heck, even at a tattoo appointment.

But, as good as I am at focusing on the task at hand in various non-office settings (and racking up my phone's data plan via hotspot in the process), I can't imagine that getting work done in any of the above locations would be as difficult as trying to work from, say, a Toronto Blue Jays game — something that the team and the Rogers Centre are trying to push with their ongoing "Work From Dome" campaign.

Yes, "Work From Dome" is a real campaign that the Jays are pushing, even if it's with a lighthearted, joking tone.

While I could be considered the antithesis of a sports fan, I will acknowledge that hitting up a Jays game is an integral part of a T.O. summer, and that the energy of an in-person game is like nothing else. 

But can the beer-fueled, sun-drenched fun of a standard day at the Rogers Centre be at all conducive to work? And is there a way to actually enjoy the former while trying to accomplish the latter?

I arrived to the game on Thursday not so confident that I would get much done.

The Work From Dome concept was first introduced last year, and has just returned for all Wednesday and Thursday home games during the 2025 season that start at 3:07 p.m. — a time very inconveniently in the latter half of many people's work days. 

While there may exist a few die-hard fans who already have working remotely from the dome down pat, now fans are actually encouraged to bring their laptops and work brains to the Rogers Centre, with the venue doing its best to facilitate some sort of work-friendly environment (even if it's a little tongue-in-cheek).

"Elevate your workday with the ultimate office view at Rogers Centre," reads a blurb about the initiative. "Whether you're coming with your co-workers or slipping out of the office early to 'work' at the dome, there's no better way to wrap up the workday."

The stadium was bustling, the food and drinks were flowing, fans were excited — and, some of them were trying to work remotely while there.

I was unsure when I headed to the Rogers Centre last Thursday whether my lack of emotional investment in the game would put me at an advantage, or whether the unfamiliarity of the sights and sounds of said game would mean that the echoing commentators and cheering crowds would serve as the ultimate distraction.

It turns out that my most important edge in trying to complete my work while the Jays played the Tampa Bay Rays a few hundred feet away was the fact that I'm already well-versed in doing so in all sorts of settings, and better than I realized at tuning things out.

But it did take some effort.

The game taking place just a few hundred feet away, along with the crowd celebrating it, is understandably quite a distraction. But, depends on what your work day usually entails.

For anyone who relies on quiet or background music to focus, you'll likely find it near impossible to get much done at the dome, as even noise-cancelling headphones were no match for the volume levels at the stadium — which, by our readings, reached 88 dB at times.

The centre's recent renovations and the efforts to provide dedicated workspaces, though, have provided tons of options for opening up your laptop beyond the standard seat in the middle of the action (and the sun's glare).

On the 500-level, there are Work From Dome stations that are secluded enough from the masses, and have a vibe that is more akin to working in an office than some other non-office environments I've worked out of in recent memory.

Some remote workers were actually taking advantage of the new Work From Dome areas during our visit on May 15.

Sure, there are the chattering fans walking past and the occasional overzealous beer vendor loudly peddling their wares, but the desks are sectioned off with curtains for a bit of privacy and quiet — which also unfortunately serve to make the area a tad depressing, and no better than actually being in an office far away from the game.

If you're looking to jump on a Zoom call or wrap something up before a deadline and just so happen to be at a game, this location is the place to do it, equipped with comfy adjustable chairs, desks, power outlets, reading lamps, and a TV for when you want to keep an eye on what's happening on the field.

WiFi is also available and widely advertised all around the site — and, as we discovered, is extremely fast and reliable.

Rogers Centre's 500-level now has a section of desks with chairs, power bars and more for those who want to catch a Toronto Blue Jays game but also have to finish up their work day. 

If you've got to get some work done but want to be a bit more involved in the game — I mean, why buy a ticket otherwise? — then perhaps the WestJet Flight Deck is more your speed. 

The section was another area that the Jays and Rogers Centre had set up for remote work, with, again, power bars, desk lamps, and placards encouraging use of the wifi, alongside playful jars of highlighters, pens, Post-it notes, staplers, and even file folders.

This area is more open air, less sequestered, and provides sightlines to the field, if your work day enables you to take some breaks now and then to actually pay attention to the game. It also, unlike the 500s Work From Dome space, is amidst the hustle and bustle of the stadium, but doesn't have you directly facing the game and thus more prone to being completely distracted, as a regular seat would.

Leaning into the fun of the concept, Rogers Centre staff have provided office supplies in their Work From Dome areas.

I found this zone to be the most ideal for working in, so long as you don't have any meetings to take (as the game sounds are pretty unavoidable) or tasks that require 100 per cent undivided attention (because, let's face it, it's not possible to look away from the game the entire time, especially when cheers start erupting from right beside you).

Be aware, though, that seats at these high-top tables in the WestJet flight deck are first-come, first-served, and are likely to be occupied on busier, dome-open days.

Finally, there's the most attractive, but least productive Work From Dome option, and the one most people likely think of when they think of schlepping their laptop to a Jays game: working from the standard ticketed seats.

We had ideal seats in the middle of the 100s level and just behind home plate, which made it not only hard to focus, but also evoked a sense of guilt — why come to a game and get such great seats just to sit and do boring old work?

It seemed to be what some fans around us were thinking, too, as they saw me attempting to conduct a Google Meet in the middle of gameplay.

And yes, the meeting went well, with us able to hear each other surprisingly well, though the fake backgrounds were not the most convincing when heads from the rows behind cut in and out, and the sounds of the stadium were impossible to conceal when my mic was turned on.

Yes, we had a Google meet — and it actually... went fine?

Of course, this seating arrangement was the most fun, had the best atmosphere, and makes the most sense if you went to the trouble of paying for a game that you actually want to see the outcome of.

For a lighter workday that you're just finishing up before closing your screen by 4 p.m., sure, take your allotted seat. But if you have things to actually get done, paying attention to anything but the game is hard in this setting (and also seems like a waste).

Overall, all of the potential Work from Dome areas have spectacular WiFi (better than many people's speeds at home), are close to washrooms, food and drink, and two of the three have charging outlets and other work necessities on-hand, along with being environments in which you can at least kind of lock in if needed, depending.

But, there is, for one, the issue of mindset: Entering a space that you associate with your job is, of course, going to put you into work mode, but one would be hard-pressed to get fully into the "zone" while in a space usually reserved for recreational activities (not nearly as drastic as Severance, but you know what I mean). 

And, there is also the question of why one would pay for and attend something like a baseball game if they are only going to end up sitting and finishing work on a laptop. For a bit of the game, sure. But for the whole thing, why bother?

Still, I spotted multiple people doing just that in the Work From Dome sections while there, and also no less than two fully taking meetings in the ramps between levels, balancing their computers on the handrails.

Now that's dedication.