Starkly obvious problem with the NSW government’s WFH crackdown
All government employees in New South Wales have been given just one day’s notice that working from home is no longer possible.
However, staff were left confused by Prime Minister Chris Minns’ shock announcement on Monday, as there were already a number of clear obstacles in place.
All NSW civil servants are due back in the office on Tuesday, but some live several hours away from work, or even far away.
Others pointed out that some offices cannot physically accommodate all employees working on site at the same time.
“There’s a guy in my department who lives in Noosa. He’s been working remotely all week. I’m looking forward to him coming back into the office tomorrow,” a senior government official told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Another one lives in Sydney, but I’ve never met her. I can’t wait to meet her.’
A second anonymous government official pointed out the lack of physical workspaces for all employees currently working from home.
“While there should be a requirement to come into the office more often, two or three days a week, our offices cannot accommodate this number of people,” she told Daily Mail Australia.
NSW government workers were told on Monday they can no longer work from home
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns (pictured) has ordered all civil servants to return to their offices from Tuesday.
‘We currently have to book desks two weeks in advance because Tuesdays are so busy. We can’t really control whether teams have to work on a different day because it depends on work and family flexibility.’
Some job applications promised employees a “hybrid” workplace.
“Our jobs were advertised as hybrid roles and we promote a hybrid workplace to increase flexibility and create a good work-life balance,” the employee added.
‘Going to the office five days a week is unfeasible for people who live two hours away from the office.
“What we should do is give this guidance to more managers who I hardly see in the office.
“They should set a good example.”
South of the border, Premier Jacinta Allan’s government had some pointed words about New South Wales’s new policies, despite both governments being Labor-led.
The Victorian Government has pledged to maintain current flexible working arrangements, which require employees to be in the office three days a week.
“We know that flexibility in the workplace keeps more women in work and that more women in the workplace is better for everyone,” a spokesperson said. The Australian.
‘Any New South Wales public servants who want flexibility in their workplace should consider moving to Victoria.’
The Queensland Government has also confirmed that it will not be changing its current WFH policy. This is at the discretion of each department.
Employees said there is not enough space in the office for all remote workers to return within less than 24 hours of the announcement
Businesses in the CBD have struggled to break even since residents began working from home during the Covid pandemic
Stewart Little, general secretary of the Public Service Association, confirmed the union would help members affected by the new government regulations.
“While we recognise that many of our members do not have the option to work from home, the PSA has always been committed to flexible working arrangements,” the union said in a statement.
‘This means that, where possible, those who do not need to be present at a specific location should work from home.
‘The PSA also understands that some workplaces may not be able to physically accommodate all employees at the same time.
‘Any PSA member who has issues with flexible working arrangements, including working from home, will receive support from their union.’
But Business Sydney Eexecutive director of Paul Nicolaou welcomed the move.
“This is fantastic news and great leadership from the prime minister,” he said.
‘Employers tell Business Sydney we really need to take the CBD seriously to get back to pre-Covid levels.
“The city needs more foot traffic and therefore more workers to support the hundreds of businesses and enterprises that depend on them.”
The Victorian Government confirmed it will not change its flexible working arrangements and encouraged dissatisfied NSW workers to ‘consider relocating to Victoria’
Chris Minns’ department’s new rules require public servants to work from approved office spaces every day of the workweek
The end of working from home was announced on Monday in a government-wide memorandum to all departments.
The new rules from the Prime Minister’s Department dictate that Civil servants are now expected to work from approved office spaces every day of the working week.
Limited flexibility will still be allowed in cases of There are job-sharing or compressed hours arrangements, but most workers will return to the office full-time.
The memorandum warned that existing work-from-home arrangements, which were introduced in 2019, ‘should not be taken for granted or unlimited.
“The more our work experience is shared, the more we become united. This means we are physically present in our organizations,” it continued.
Civil servants who want to work from home must now explain why they need their hybrid arrangement. That reasoning then requires formal approval, which is regularly evaluated.
Civil servants who want to work outside the state also need permission from the head of their department.
