Outraged Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas lashed out at Australians working from home, saying they were “damaging their capital”.
The former Channel Seven journalist turned politician has accused workers of failing to support CBD businesses by staying at home.
“If you work from home and not in your office in the capital closest to where you live, you are harming your capital,” he told Sunrise on Thursday.
His impassioned call for workers to return to the office follows revelations that Australia has one of the highest work-from-home rates in the world.
THE Global Survey of Working Arrangements found that in April and May, the average full-time employee in Australia spends an average of 1.27 days working from home.
However, the Australians wanted to see that average increased to 2.23 days.
Perth Mayor Basil Zempilas (above) told Australians working from home they were ‘harming their capitals’.
Mr Zempilas added that people working from home risked career advancement.
“Here’s another news flash, if you want to progress in your career, how do you think you can do it if you stay at home?” he asked.
“(If you) don’t know the boss and don’t know the work ethic? »
However, CBD savings are unlikely to be high on the average Australian’s priority list, with the cost of living crisis pushing the country’s budgets to the brink.
The Global Working Arrangements Survey found that one of the main reasons employees seek to work from home is to save money on meals and transport.
Last June, a study of 28,000 full-time workers, including 1,042 Australians, found they could save an average of $216 a week by working from home.
That’s over $10,000 a year.
However, this figure could be even higher this year, given the rapid rise in inflation.
The latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics indicates that inflation is moderating – up 4.9 per cent on the year to July, but down from 5.4 per cent in the month previous.
A survey by Daily Mail Australia in June this year found that $20 had become the standard price for an office lunch in capital cities.
A $17.90 roast chicken toastie at St Kilda Dispensary in Melbourne, a $21 chicken burger at Wild Sage in Sydney’s Barangaroo or $18 haloumi tacos at Ed on Edward St in Brisbane are nothing short of ‘extraordinary in terms of price.
A study found workers can save over $10,000 a year by staying home instead of commuting to the CBD for work (pictured, Perth)
But it’s not just coffee shops where cash doesn’t go as far as it used to, where customers probably won’t get much change back from a $20 bill when buying a burrito, some sushi rolls or a chicken salad with a drink at most. – well-known restaurant chains.
This disturbing phenomenon is known as “lunchflation”.
Ben Dawson, vice president of Cisco Australia and New Zealand, believes the ability to save money by working from home is a big incentive for Australians.
“If it’s costing you $10,000 to join an organization that expects you to be in the office five days a week, that’s a real factor (in deciding where to work),” Dawson told the Australian Financial Review.
“If people feel happier, healthier and better off financially, they will expect that and that will be a source of competitive differentiation when we hire people.”
Seven commentator Cath Webber, who appeared on the Sunrise panel alongside Mayor Zempilas, reassured Australians that it was okay to prefer work outside the office.
“Employers with an old-fashioned attitude towards working from home will be the ones who lose out because people want flexibility,” she said.
“If you can produce what you can and deliver a few days at home with even better results, it’s here to stay.”
Australia has the fourth highest work from home rate behind Canada, the UK and America.
The Global Working Arrangements Survey 2023 report assessed 42,426 workers in 34 countries.
The study reveals that Canadian workers spend the most time working from home, followed by the British, Americans and finally Australians.
The countries with the lowest work-from-home rates are South Korea, Japan and Greece.
