It has all the hallmarks of a great spaghetti western. A Mexican standoff with a distinctly Aussie flavour. Picture a tumbleweed spinning down a CBD street, employers standing at one end, hybrid workers at the other – waiting to see who flinches first.

I’m talking of course about the work-from-home phenomenon – that remarkably resilient throwover from the COVID-19 pandemic that continues to impact a workplace near you.