Back To Work

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Australia’s New South Wales (NSW) ordered all its public employees back to the office this week, a decision that has divided opinion in the country’s most populous state over limiting the remote work practices that became prevalent during the Covid-19 pandemic, the Associated Press reported Wednesday.

NSW Premier Chris Minns said in a notice this week that jobs could become flexible by means other than remote work, such as part-time positions and role sharing. He emphasized the importance of employees’ physical presence for “building and replenishing public institutions.”

He added that workplace culture and mentorship opportunities would improve with more in-person interactions.

The directive to return to the office puts the state’s government – Australia’s largest employer – into a list of a growing number of institutions and companies that are attempting to reverse pandemic-era remote working practices.

Business and real estate groups in Sydney, the state’s largest city, welcomed the move because of concerns over falling office occupancy rates since 2020.

But the Public Service Association, the union representing public servants, opposed the initiative and threatened to challenge it. The union cited a lack of evidence for the change and expressed concern that the government might struggle to fill positions, with some critical agencies, such as child protection, facing vacancy rates as high as 20 percent.

Some analysts have also questioned whether the change might have been influenced by lobbying from the Rupert Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph in Sydney, which advocated for an end to remote work due to potential economic benefits for local businesses.

Others noted that the new policy contrasts with other Australian states that have embraced remote working.

Chris F. Wright of the University of Sydney said the move undermines the federal government’s efforts to promote remote work to enhance workforce participation, reduce emissions and ease traffic congestion.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese supports remote work and plans to introduce a “right to disconnect” law, allowing employees to refuse work communications outside agreed hours.