The NSW Premier’s Department has issued a circular to government agencies saying it’s time for government employees to return to the office.
The circular, issued on Monday, says agencies are expected to have flexible work polices that meet the ‘reasonable requests’ of employees.
However, “the default arrangement is to work principally in an approved workplace, office or related site.”
Employees wanting to work from home on a regular basis will need to provide reasons and and get formal approval and agreement from agency heads, and all such arrangements must be recorded.
Work from home approvals should also be for a defined period and regularly reviewed, the circular says.
Individual agencies will be responsible for designing and monitoring their own policies.
The opportunity to work from home should not be taken for granted or considered unlimited
NSW Premiers Department
Flexible workplace arrangements became widespread in the public sector after Covid-19 caused disruption across the economy, and they have become a carrot to attract quality employees with carer and other out-of work commitments.
But the opportunity to work from home shouldn’t be taken for granted, the circular says.
“On some occasions, NSW government sector work can productively be done from home. However, that is not available to all government sector employees in all circumstances and the opportunity to work from home should not be taken for granted or considered unlimited,” it says.
“The starting position is that government sector employees work principally in an approved workplace in NSW. Arrangements to work from home on some occasions must take into consideration the wider needs of departments, agencies, the community and stakeholders.”
The circular also notes that the effective use of public work assets including offices and other workplaces means they need to be used across the week.
“The goal in every workplace should be to achieve an even spread across the working week and fully utilise the available accommodation,” the circular says.
The NSW public sector union says about 70 per cent of the state’s public sector workforce, including frontline workers, are already back in the workplace.
The union is talking with members about how to respond to the directive, a PSA spokesperson told Government News.
In a bulletin to members the PSA said it has always fought for flexible working arrangements.
“This includes, where possible, working from home for those whose roles do not rely on them attending a specific site,” it said.
“Any PSA member with issues in flexible working arrangements, including working from home, will receive support from their union.”
Comment below to have your say on this story.
If you have a news story or tip-off, get in touch at editorial@governmentnews.com.au.
Sign up to the Government News newsletter
This should be occurring in each State & Territory
Another idea not thought out. THis is a knee jerk reaction to small business complaining about lack of customers due to people working from home. Many people work hard from home and the extra hours commuting is a waste of time for people already strapped for time.
Yes, there is no consideration for people already struggling with cost of living pressures, and this will only add to more congestion and stress on the roads, and more carbon emissions, not to mention more people coming down sick due to being in offices more often and crowded public transport. There is already a waiting list for many out-of-hours school care and childcare places, and this will result in less time that families can spend together.
I expected better of a Labor government that is clearly capitalist in its policies.
Why should workers be forced into longer commutes to do jobs that can be done remotely just because not enough people are spending money in the CBD? We are in a cost of living crisis and they decide now is the time to ask people to spend money on transport, parking, additional childcare arrangements on unnecessary commutes on already over packed roads.
There is a housing and rental crisis and their solution is to force people to either travel longer from their affordable homes or join the carnage of trying to buy in central areas to be near offices. Why are we going backwards?
Hard agree. We’re ‘lucky’ than the pandemic happened at all, or else we would have never got a shot at this at all. Four years on, it’s proven to be a total winner but now, as you say, we’re going backwards. Thanks Premier!
I work in a large Council. We already operate with all the requirements of this circular. We have WFH up to 50% of the time max subject to operational requirements and every employee must apply for WFH and any approval only lasts 12 months.
So basically for the past four years, public servants have proven working from home to be very effective. This has taken cars off the road, made public transport more comfortable for those who have to use it, and given people back hours of their life from the commute. All incredible things. In turn, the government slashed its leases as it didn’t need as much space, saving money. Another good thing. But now they’re supposed to go back to work because coffee shop owners don’t think they’re flogging enough coffees and building owners want to lease more floors. Excuse me? Since when should these people be dictating how public servants work? Even the premier’s comment that nurses don’t get to work from home is pretty weak sauce. Is he saying that because one kind of work has to be in person, everyone has to go to their office? That is absurd. We’re going to be clogging the roads and public transport further, for teams to sit together for no real reason. And in the middle of a cost of living crisis, people paying extra for their commute – especially in petrol and parking for those who drive – certainly aren’t going to be buying coffees and takeaway lunches so any fantasies that these lobby groups are harbouring are going to get a swift, short uppercut.
Minns proving himself to just be a liberal-lite Premier.
This is driven by the overly heard ‘cafe’ sector and big property owners, and that’s it.
A silly idea, not consulted on and poorly thought out. Will see the NSW Government leak a lot of staff to other places as well, where they actually recognise the role of WfH in a new age.
It isn’t 1955 anymore, and we shouldn’t try to impose that on people.
So, the previous Government made a substantial saving in reducing the accommodation costs.
This meant that working from Home in some form was mandatory. This was Prior to Covid, as the office space required elsewise was too expensive.
I expect Premier Chris hasn’t got the budget for the extra accommodation.
For the implementation of his edict.
But it makes for a good show!
The Premier’s own department allows for less that 70% occupancy for staff – are they meant to sit on each other?
The Property Council, with members from financial institutions, banks, commercial property owners, are lobbying the government to get PS employees back in the office to save their failing investments.
In my Queensland Gov Department, the office space has been downsized using a Hybrid Workspace System where you book your desk in advance, this allows a 3 day WFO and 2 day WFH.
Having worked in the UK, NZ and now Aus.
I don’t like the trend I’ve seen with office space design. It’s become too open yet too crowded.
Last year alone, I caught Covid 19 twice from the office which required hospital treatment.
So for me, I need to consider all optionvery careful in a busy crowded office space. Working from home reduces my risk to health issues, but on the otherhand, I don’t always enjoy working home alone.
It’s still difficulties times.
I do all meetings online even in the office. For me,
gone are the days of meetings in the cbd having a coffee.
If all meetings are virtual, even when you are in the office, I’d be happy to work full-time from home or in a regional office closer to home.
The cost of living is almost making it not worth living near the cbd of Brisbane and the suburbs.
Forcing everyone back to the office without indepth discussion is not the right way to go.
I believe hybrid working arrangements (i.e., two days WFH and three days of your choice for Office) are now the norm. I hope someone has considered the benefits of Hybrid working, such as 1. Productivity Gains & Employee Wellbeing 2. Cost of living pressure 3. Environmental effect (low pollution) 4. Local business consideration, rather than only CBD businesses 5. The health benefits of not catching flu or other diseases from crowded commutes and offices reduce the burden on already stressed emergency departments in hospitals.