Calls for action on public servants’ return to the office

Business leaders fear that unless the government introduces a work-from-office recommendation, many public servants will avoid the city for work.

Managers in state departments are holding off on encouraging more staff to return to the office until the Health Minister’s recommendations on the issue are updated, despite the Premier saying there’s no rules to prevent workers coming back.

Sources have told the Herald Sun managers don’t feel they can ask staff to return regularly unless the recommendation they work from home if they can is changed.

But the government insists people are free to do what they want regardless of the recommendation.

Business leaders have been pleading with the Andrews government for leadership by encouraging its staff at home to return to CBD offices for most of the week.

It’s understood the public service is expecting an update from the Department of Premier and Cabinet and the government has flagged it would receive new advice about the threat of Covid at the end of winter.

When the recommendation is changed, many departments could return to the flexible working system of staff going in at least three days, in place before the latest outbreak.

Employees in some agencies and departments are continuing to work from home. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Since July 23, the number of active Covid cases in Victoria has plummeted from 71,428 to 16,522 on Monday.

Small Business Association executive director Bill Lang called on public servants to lead the charge in returning to the office. “Every small-business family who operates a small business in the city of Melbourne would welcome as many office workers to return as possible, given the government is the employer of the most people that work in CBD offices,” Mr Lang said.

“Positive, proactive leadership by the government in encouraging as many workers as possible to be back there collaborating, working with their colleagues and saying G’day to the local small businesses would be welcomed.

“Melburnians coming into the city on the weekends, it’s fantastic, but there is no substitute for office workers coming in Mondays and Fridays in terms of the effect on the local economy.”

Public servants are being called upon to lead the charge in returning to the office. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra agreed that the future of the daytime CBD economy “relies on more people coming back to the office”.

“As we head into spring, we hope to see more people from across both the private and public sectors come back into the CBD,” Mr Guerra said.

“We encourage all business leaders, private and public sector, to engage with their employees to continue a return to the office.

“While every business will likely have different arrangements on returning to the office, we all share a responsibility in ensuring the CBD recovers and adapts to a post-Covid environment.”

Housing Minister Danny Pearson said: “The current advice relates to being flexible and managers working with their staff in terms of working out the best way to try and ensure that they can work safely … they can work remotely or if they’re comfortable coming in they can come in.”

“The (previous) settings were three days a week … This is more about trying to make sure that there’s flexibility in place.”

Originally published as Calls for action on public servants’ return to the office