‘We’ve moved forward’: Randwick deputy mayor backs council staff in revolt over five-day office mandate

Randwick’s deputy mayor has slammed the council’s return-to-office mandate as “disrespectful” and biased against female employees.

Randwick deputy mayor Rafaela Pandolfini has clashed with 2GB host Ben Fordham over the council’s return-to-office mandate, which she has slammed as “disrespectful” and biased against female employees.

The Sydney Morning Herald first reported on Sunday that the Labor-led Randwick City Council had sparked a staff revolt after ordering everyone back to the office five days per week starting September 11, ending hybrid working arrangements introduced during Covid.

A council spokeswoman told the newspaper that requiring staff to physically attend the workplace would lead to more opportunities for collaboration, career development and better customer service.

But the move prompted a backlash from the workforce, who said in an anonymous email to council staff and Randwick councillors that revoking work-from-home arrangements “disproportionately affects women, who typically bear the majority of care work responsibilities”.

The email added that the decision “has failed to consider the impact on staff — family commitments, mental health and wellbeing, commuting times and the financial burden imposed during the current economic crisis”, according to the report.

Randwick deputy mayor Rafaela Pandolfini. Picture: Supplied

Speaking to Fordham on Monday, Ms Pandolfini insisted times had changed and workers should not be required to revert to pre-Covid arrangements. “I’m not supportive of a five-day mandate,” she said.

“I don’t think just jumping straight into that offers any flexibility and I think that it should be staggered, or there should be different options looked at. It should remain hybrid and flexible.”

Fordham, who has vocally supported efforts to bring workers back into the CBD to support struggling businesses, asked, “OK, so before the pandemic people were expected in the office five days a week?”

“They were,” Ms Pandolfini said.

“And the pandemic is now over?” Fordham pressed.

“Yep,” she said.

“So what’s the issue?” he said.

“Well I don’t know, it’s not completely over is it?” Ms Pandolfini said.

“There’s still Covid around. I think the issue is that we’ve learnt a lot from that time which is great, because that’s progress. What we’ve learnt is it actually really assists people to have more contact with their children, to be fitter, to put more into their local economy, to be able to pick their kids up, to save a bit of money and time on commuting. So it’s good to learn and take from that experience, it was a very difficult time for a lot of people.”

Fordham questioned whether the council’s reasons, including better customer service for ratepayers, should take priority.

Randwick City Council has cracked down on working arrangements.

They want staff back in the office 5 days a week.

But the Deputy Mayor is NOT on board.

She reckons we’ve moved past full-time office work…

🎧https://t.co/PMn3crjtxz🎧 pic.twitter.com/2EnSWeTFrH

— Ben Fordham Live (@BenFordhamLive) July 10, 2023

Randwick City Council has ordered staff back five days a week. Picture: Google Maps

“Well what about all of the incredible organisations and businesses that don’t have any mandate at all?” Ms Pandolfini said. “What about Service NSW, one of the greatest customer service experiences? They don’t have a mandate like this.”

She questioned why workers should be forced to “head into the city or head into these main hubs and spend our money there”. “Why can’t we spend money in the local cafe for our lunch?” she said.

“I can answer that question for you — because it’s your job,” Fordham said.

“Yes you can work from home, but the boss is saying it’s time to return to the office. Surely this has been a long time coming. Bosses are saying it’s time to return to work.”

But Ms Pandolfini argued it “wasn’t a long time coming”.

“They were given five weeks,” she said.

“You’re not at home not working — I know I work very hard at home, but I’m also able to go and pick up my daughter which is really nice. Most admin staff and people in the office are overrepresented by women and carers.”

According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Randwick City Council had initially wanted staff back in the office by July 31 but pushed the date back to September 11 to give people more time to prepare.

Fordham asked whether two months was long enough notice for staff to “resume normal operating procedures”.

Ben Fordham has pushed for a return to offices. Picture: John Feder/The Australian

“I don’t think it’s normal operating procedure,” Ms Pandolfini said.

“I think we’ve moved forward and I think we can look at a flexible working arrangement moving forward and that’s what I’d hope would happen. Maybe they’d like staff in three days a week, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, but the five-day mandate, it’s setting a precedent for local government that I don’t think is very welcome.”

Fordham then suggested that remote work was “also setting a precedent that businesses can decide we don’t necessarily need these workers, we can employ people in other parts of the world”.

“I don’t know that that’s entirely the case,” Ms Pandolfini said. “I don’t think that’s what is actually happening.”

Other local councils including City of Sydney, Northern Beaches and City of Parramatta have maintained hybrid work arrangements.

A NSW Public Service Commission spokeswoman told The Sydney Morning Herald flexible working was part of modern employment, and that during the pandemic government agencies found many roles were able to be done remotely with no loss in productivity.

“Offering flexible working arrangements, where possible, is key to attracting and retaining talent, particularly in a tight labour market,” she said.

It comes as a growing number of businesses crack down on working from home. In May, CommBank sparked an internal revolt after ordering its 49,000 employees back to the office for at least 50 per cent of the time starting July 17.

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Originally published as ‘We’ve moved forward’: Randwick deputy mayor backs council staff in revolt over five-day office mandate