Premier reveals whether he’ll force public servants back to work

Two reasons why Steven Miles won’t follow NSW’s lead and put an end to work-from-home arrangements for Queensland public servants.

Queensland’s public servants won’t be ordered back into the office Premier Steven Miles has declared, dismissing any notion of following a controversial New South Wales edict.

Mr Miles said it was the state’s strong economy and comparatively healthy CBD which allowed Queensland to stand apart, but the latest budget also underlines why flexible arrangements need to stay in the Sunshine State.

New South Wales Premier Chris Minns, in a controversial edict this week, advised working from home privileges had come to an end and all public servants needed to come back into the office.

Any working from home arrangements would then need to go through a fresh approval process.

But Mr Miles said there were no such plans in Queensland.

Premier Steven Miles is happy for Queensland public servants to continue flexible work arrangements. Picture: Patrick Woods.

“I don’t have any plans at this stage to change the current arrangements,” he said.

“I understand New South Wales is in a somewhat different position to Queensland. Our economy continues to be strong. Our CBD has come back more strongly.”

The government is also trying to save money on office space, as outlined in Treasurer Cameron Dick’s latest budget.

Even though the 2024/25 state budget unveiled an 8000-head boost to the public service over the next year, for a total workforce of 267,000 people costing $35.2bn a year, bureaucrats were due to bear the brunt of a “targeted $3bn savings plan” over four years.

The savings plan includes a rethink on office space, with departments told to look at “greater use of flexible work arrangements” while reducing the need for office accommodation as their numbers grow.

The latest government survey of public servants found 51 per cent had working from home arrangements.

NSW Premier Chris Minns. Picture: Gaye Gerard

Of those who were able to work from home, 80 per cent spent one or two days working away from the office with just 3 per cent working entirely from the confines of their house.

The Public Sector Commission’s latest policy on flexible working arrangements, dated March 2023, declares “flexible work is here to stay”.

“Both employees and employers have experienced its benefits and it is now a common part of modern employment approaches,” the document stated.

“Evidence shows flexible work to be a major factor in talent attraction and retention particularly in younger age groups — another benefit of being clear about how your organisation supports flexible work in a highly competitive global job market.”

Opposition customer service spokesman Steve Minnikin said the state government and private enterprise need to “ensure productivity continues to improve across all areas of our growing state.

“Queenslanders know the positive outcomes of working within an office and team environment, but it must be balanced with a level of flexibility that ensures we can continue to attract and retain the best,” he said.