Dan backs push to keep WFH arrangements

The Premier has backed a push by unions to have the right to work from home built into employee contracts, saying it boosts staff morale.

Daniel Andrews has backed the push by unions to have work from home arrangements built into workplace agreements.

Premier Daniel Andrews has backed the push by unions to have work from home arrangements built into workplace agreements.

Speaking on Friday Mr Andrews said flexible working arrangements are “here to stay” and should be included in public sector job contract negotiations.

“Flexible working arrangements are and will be a feature in the public sector in the enterprise bargaining agreements,” he said.

“To a certain extent there’s always been that ability.”

It comes as various unions, including those in the finance and educator sector, are pushing to have the right to work from home enshrined in contracts.

They argue the measure would help keep tens of thousands of white-collar workers safe from new Covid variants.

Earlier this week Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly called on employers to let staff work from home this winter to control the “significant new threat” posed by the latest Omicron sub variant.

But the Premier admitted there are “lots of challenges” with flexible working arrangements.

“I know that there are challenges with working from home, whether it’s with businesses in the CBD in Melbourne or in (regional Victoria),” he said.

“Enterprise bargains are always best when they are accompanied by a sense of good faith, a sense of partnership, and there’s a bit of give and take and you’ll find a balanced outcome … probably not an outcome that everyone is happy with.”

Mr Andrews said some changes to workplaces, seen as a result of the pandemic, are “here to stay”.

“It’s not a concept anymore, it’s a lived experience of people for two, three years,” he said.

“There’s so much data that says people are happier, more efficient, more productive (at home).

“For some people it will work, for a lot of people it doesn’t work.”

He said it was important every employee felt as though they had “supportive” flexible working arrangements.

“Whether it’s a function of enterprise agreements, or whether it’s done in other ways, I think it’s the outcome that we should be focused on, rather than the mechanism,” he said.