Key union wins right for no-caps on work from home days and a flow-on is expected for other workplaces

Unions are celebrating a breakthrough which bans the 103 Commonwealth employers imposing a cap on the number of days workers can choose to work from home.

Federal public servants can work from home permanently under an agreement struck by a union which removes government employers’ rights to cap days out of the office.

The Community and Public Sector Union on Tuesday said it had reached an agreement with the Australian Public Service Commission.

Under the deal, all public service employees will have the right to request flexible working arrangements, including working from home, which will no longer be capped.

Employees will now be able to work as many days a week at home as they wish, with WFH requests only to be refused after “genuinely trying to reach agreement” with the staff member.

Federal decisions on workplace conditions often flow on to the 100,000-strong SA public service, local government and the private sector.

Public Service Association general secretary Natasha Brown said the union wanted more flexibility in South Australian workplaces.

“This is an important evolution of the conditions available to federal public servants,’’ she said.

A range of unions were celebrating the breakthrough yesterday which bans the 103 Commonwealth Government employers imposing the caps.

In pay negotiations the Community and Public Sector Union argued workplace flexibility was a major issue for around 160,000 federal employees, 10,000 of whom work in SA.

Ms Brown said: “While not all jobs can be done from home, our union is broadly supportive of more flexibility in the workplace.”

Acting Premier Susan Close said she supported greater flexibility and SA needed to compete with other employers like the Commonwealth.

“The State Government also wants to be an employer of choice in a tight labour market so we also support flexible working arrangements, especially for those who juggle work and parenting,” she said.

After winning the concession from the Commonwealth, CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly told The Advertiser the decision could have major ramifications for South Australia.

PSA Assistant Secretary Natasha Brown. Picture: Mike Burton

“For too long, many of the opportunities to work in the Australian public service have been limited to Canberra,’’ she said.

“The flexible work rights that the CPSU has negotiated should see opportunities for employment open up to people right across the country.

“This is good news for people in other states and cities and for people in regional and rural Australia. But it is better news for the APS as a whole.”

Under state government rules, public servants are currently allowed only one day or two days at home per week.

A spokesman for the Local Government Association said working from home arrangements were currently managed individually by councils and are typically set through policies with no sector-wide Enterprise Bargaining Agreement.

The union win came as debate raged about a provocative suggestion by former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett that workers at home should earn less than workers in the office.

Opposition leader David Speirs said working from home had been a useful tool during Covid but hit CBD businesses.