Government says public servants expected to work from office but stopped short of a NSW-style mandate

SA public servants are being told to get back to the office to boost Adelaide’s retail sector. So what does that mean for you?

South Australian public servants are being urged to follow NSW’s lead in returning to the office to boost the ailing retail sector.

NSW Premier Chris Minns sent a government-wide memorandum to all departments on Monday, advising working-from-home privileges had come to an end.

Sydney business leaders have been imploring workers to come back to the office, especially in the CBD which is almost a deadzone on some days.

The government-wide advice from the Premier’s Department outlined new expectations for public servants to work from “an approved office space” – and they are expected to be there every day of the working week.

A spokesman for Peter Malinauskas said the Premier had “consistently made clear his expectation” that public sector employees work from the office. Picture: iStock.

While the advice does allow for some workplace flexibility in the form of job-share arrangements or compressed hours, it is expected work will be principally done in the office.

“The more our experience of work is shared, the more united we become,” the advice states.

“This means being physically present in our organisations.”

SA Business Cham­ber chief executive Andrew Kay said businesses would welcome any moves to get more workers back into the Adelaide CBD.

“Businesses need to be flexible enough to retain and attract staff, but building a team culture, sharing ideas, and innovation is best served by being in the office,” he said.

“If you look at the state government, they’re generally the largest employer in the state, and they do have a lot of CBD office space, so it is good to get that foot traffic back into the city as much as possible.”

Mr Kay said the jury was still out whether working from home was more productive but acknowledged that workers’ expectations had changed.

A spokesman for Peter Malinauskas said the Premier had “consistently made clear his expectation” that public sector employees work from the office.

“CBD workers generate significant economic activity and are vitally important to many businesses in the CBD,” the spokesman said.

“Working from home is not possible for most public sector employees, as they work from dedicated sites to deliver essential services to the community.”

Public Service Association of SA secretary Natasha Brown said: “For the most part, members who are working from home in hybrid arrangements – which still sees them working in the office on some days – say it provides them with greater flexibility and work/life balance.”