All NSW government employees have been given just one day’s notice that working from home is coming to an end.
However, staff were left bewildered by Premier Chris Minns’ surprise announcement on Monday and several obvious hurdles were already emerging.
All public servants in New South Wales are due to return to their offices on Tuesday, but some live several hours or even another state away from their workplace.
Others noted that some offices cannot physically accommodate all employees working on-site at the same time.
“There is a man in my department who lives in Noosa. He works remotely all week. I look forward to his return to the office tomorrow,” a senior government official told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Another one lives in Sydney and I’ve never met her. I can’t wait to meet her.’
A second anonymous government worker highlighted the lack of physical workspaces available for all employees currently working from home.
“While there should be an obligation to go into the office more, two or three days a week, our offices cannot manage the capacity of this amount of people coming in,” he told Daily Mail Australia.
NSW government workers were told on Monday that they will no longer be allowed to work from home
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns (pictured) has demanded that all public servants return to their offices from Tuesday.
‘At the moment, we have to book desks two weeks in advance because there are a lot of people on Tuesdays and we cannot decide if teams should come another day, as this depends on work and family flexibility.’
Some employees were promised a “hybrid” workplace when they applied for their positions.
“Our jobs were advertised as hybrid roles and we promote a hybrid workplace to help with flexibility and managing work-life balance,” the staff member added.
‘Going back to the office five days a week is unattainable for those who live two hours away from the office.
‘What should be done is to give this directive to more senior management members, whom I hardly see in the office.
“They should lead by example.”
South of the border, Premier Jacinta Allan’s government had some choice words about the new NSW policy, even though both are led by the Labor Party.
The Victorian government has committed to maintaining its current flexible working arrangements, which require employees to be in the office three days a week.
“We know that workplace flexibility helps more women stay in work and that more women in the workforce is better for everyone,” a spokesperson said. The Australian.
‘Any public servant in New South Wales who wants flexibility in their workplace should consider moving to Victoria.’
The Queensland government has also confirmed that it will not change its current work-from-home policy, which is left to the discretion of each department.
Workers said there is not enough office space for all remote employees to return with less than 24 hours’ notice.
CBD businesses have struggled to break even since residents began working from home during the Covid pandemic
Public Service Association general secretary Stewart Little confirmed the union would help members affected by the government’s new rule.
“While we recognise that many of our members do not have the option to work from home, PSA has always advocated for flexible working arrangements,” the union said in a statement.
‘This includes, where possible, working from home for those whose roles do not depend on them attending a specific site.
‘The PSA also understands that some workplaces cannot physically accommodate all employees working there at the same time.
‘Any PSA member with issues relating to flexible working arrangements, including working from home, will receive support from their union.’
But Business Sydney ECEO of Paul Nicolaou welcomed the move.
“This is fantastic news and great leadership from the Prime Minister,” he said.
‘Employers are telling Business Sydney that we need to get serious about returning the CBD to its pre-Covid state.
“The city needs more foot traffic and therefore more workers to support the hundreds of businesses and companies that depend on them.”
The Victorian government has confirmed it will not change its flexible working arrangements and encouraged disgruntled NSW workers to “consider moving to Victoria”
New rules from Chris Minns’ department dictate that public servants are now expected to work from approved office spaces every day of the work week.
The end of working from home was announced in a government memo sent to all departments on Monday.
The new rules From the Prime Minister’s department they dictate that Civil servants are now expected to work from approved office spaces. Every day of the work week.
Limited flexibility will still be allowed in cases of work-sharing arrangements or compressed schedules, but most workers will return to the office full-time.
The memo warned that existing work-from-home arrangements, which were introduced in 2019, ““should not be taken for granted or considered unlimited.”
“The more we share our work experience, the more united we are. This means being physically present in our organizations,” he continues.
Civil servants wishing to work from home will now have to provide reasons why their hybrid arrangements are necessary, which will then require formal approval, which will be reviewed periodically.
Public servants who want to work out of state will also need approval from the head of his department.