Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has urged the state government to take a tougher line on public servants’ attendance in the workplace as the CBD lags well behind other capitals in the return of workers to city offices.

While foot traffic counts of pedestrians show the Victorian capital’s nighttime and weekend economy is rebounding from the pandemic era, the city remains well behind other capitals in the number of people checking into their workplaces. Daily attendance is at a modest 61 per cent on average compared to pre-pandemic levels, putting pressure on the CBD’s daytime economy, according to its lord mayor.