Calls for the Andrews government to scrap the flexible work model for the public service
Industry leaders want the Andrews government to follow the UK’s lead and order workers back to their desks.
Victoria
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Public servants should be ordered back to their desks in a bid to supercharge Melbourne’s CBD recovery, industry leaders have urged.
More than two years since working from home arrangements were first implemented there are now growing calls for the state government to scrap the flexible work model.
It comes as civil servants in the UK were this week told to return to their desks to ensure offices were running at “full capacity”.
In a letter to ministers, minister for government efficiency Jacob Rees-Mogg, urged the “rapid return” of workers to their desks.
“Now that we are learning to live with Covid and have lifted all legal restrictions in England, we must continue to accelerate the return of civil servants to office buildings to realise the benefits of face-to-face, collaborative working and the wider benefits for the economy,” he said.
There has also been a push for public servants in NSW to get back to the office following last month’s easing of restrictions.
Victoria’s 50,000-odd public service workers can still work from home up to two days a week, despite the state’s working-from-home mandate being lifted on February 25.
In a speech to the Committee for Economic Development of Australia last month Daniel Andrews said he expected just 60 per cent of workers would return to offices post-Covid.
Small Business Australia executive director Bill Lang said it wasn’t good enough.
Mr Lang, who has co-founded new political outfit the Victorians Party, said small businesses across the struggling CBD were desperate to see foot traffic return to pre-Covid levels.
“We urge the Premier to not go ‘soft’ now and follow the lead of the UK government by ordering the return of all public servants back to their desks,” he said.
“This should have been done months ago and if you can ‘out of an abundance of caution’ shut down the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of Victorians and prevent tens of thousands from being able to work through inflexible mandates and isolation policies – you can order your public servants to return to their office desks.
“Let’s see Mr Andrews step up to protect the traders of Melbourne by mandating the return of all public servants to their desks with the same vigour with which he shut businesses down across the State throughout the pandemic.”
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief Paul Guerra said getting workers back to the office would help stimulate struggling CBD businesses.
“The Victorian Chamber has consistently said that every leader, either in the private or public sector, has a responsibility to provide a clear commitment on how and when they will reintegrate their staff into the office and to be accountable for that,” he said.
“Given the further easing of restrictions, including isolation requirements for close contacts, we hope to see an increase in people returning to the office very soon.
“There are definite benefits to being in the office including greater collaboration and social connection that you just can’t get on a screen. Some time working from home helps with both work-life balance and ensuring both males and females can actively participate in the workforce.
“Getting back into the office also helps stimulate Melbourne’s CBD and the thousands of businesses, including our iconic retail and hospitality sectors, which rely on office workers.”
A government spokesperson refused to say how many public servants had returned to the office full time.
“The requirement for the Victorian Public Service to return to the office at a minimum of three days a week remains in place,” he said.
“Many public servants are working more than three days a week in the office, depending on their job roles and personal circumstances.”
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Originally published as Calls for the Andrews government to scrap the flexible work model for the public service
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