This Month
Race for space spurs CBD office rebound
Green shoots are emerging most strongly in Sydney, where demand increased rents in the best buildings by 9.1 per cent in the past financial year.
Finance firm managers face cuts to bonuses if they work from home
The chief executive of Insignia referred to “an army of keyboard warriors” while defending a new plan linking pay to in-office attendance.
June
CEOs hate remote working, unless it’s them
When top executives work remotely, it becomes more difficult to drag everyone else to their desks.
‘You would have to anoint me’: JPMorgan’s Dimon would love to be president
In a wide-ranging discussion, the Wall Street executive also said significant job losses from the AI revolution are unavoidable and necessary.
Make penalties on WFH part of productivity talks, business tells Labor
Employers will push for flexibility around work hours and penalty rates when employees work from home in talks with the workplace relations minister.
May
Inheritocracy bad for nation; How Allan Myers rules; AI could kill WFH
Read everything that’s happened in the news so far today.
WFH is probably good for productivity (if it’s part-time)
The Productivity Commission has concluded in an extensive review of the pandemic economy that hybrid work is probably beneficial, but young people could be disadvantaged.
WFH staff attend personal matters on work time: Fair Work report
Employers have seized on a major Fair Work Commission survey that found three out of four employees working from home are dealing with non-work matters.
S--- happens: Salesforce Tower suffers sewage leak
Building manager Lendlease must have been secretly relieved people don’t go to the office on Fridays when the foyer filled with sewage.
Return to office momentum may have peaked: Barrenjoey
Analysts say the full-time return to the office has potentially hit a hard ceiling with attendance stalling at around 75 per cent of pre-COVID levels.
NSW Treasury staff attend workplace just half the time despite back-to-office edict
Premier Chris Minns ordered public servants to work “principally” in the office, but staff still cling to their days at home.
Transport ‘the exception’ to return-to-office push, says Minns
Premier Chris Minns blames “industrial issues” for the fact that 80 per cent of Transport for NSW non-frontline staff work one day or less in the office.
Four in five transport staff work in the office one day a week or less
NSW Premier Chris Minns last year told public servants to make the office their principal place of work. The dial has not moved at Transport for NSW.
I secretly earn $268k working two full-time remote jobs
“Over-working” has boomed since the pandemic triggered a rise in working from home, creating an opportunity for shrewd employees to take on multiple remote roles.
April
‘Rebound is here’: Office funds post first positive return in 2 years
Signs of a recovery are emerging for the battered office sector where high interest rates and the popularity of hybrid work have dragged down valuations.
Loan Market Group in talent ‘sweet spot’
The winner of the Financial Services category has seen new staff attracted to its ‘scale, stability and entrepreneurial vibe’.
What the research actually says about WFH
Peter Dutton has ditched his pledge to force public servants back to the office, calling the policy a mistake. So, what do we know about working from home?
Labor targets Dutton’s WFH wind-back as ‘straight from DOGE playbook’
Labor will launch an attack on the Coalition’s return-to-the-office plans and public sector cuts by comparing them to Elon Musk’s cost-cutting outfit under Trump.
March
Reports of WFH’s death greatly exaggerated
New research from the Australian HR Institute has found major employers that have introduced stricter office attendance rules are swimming against the tide.
Albanese pitches to make work from home a cost-of-living issue
The prime minister has opened a new election battlefront, arguing flexible working makes an “enormous difference” to people’s household budgets and wellbeing.