Remote working permanently not ruled out for the Victorian public service

Permanent remote work is very much on the table for thousands of government staffers in Victoria’s public service.

The Victorian public service may never return to the office in full with consultation underway on the future of working from home.

Several government departments have been surveying staff on potential future arrangements for remote work, and it is likely the results could pave the way for a revolution in flexible work arrangements for public sector workers.

The Victorian public service is one of the biggest employers in Australia with over 330,000 staff, and it is understood many of those consulted are keen for flexible arrangements to continue, even after the pandemic ends.

On Tuesday, Mr Andrews admitted remote working was “no longer just a concept” but said no decisions had yet been made on the role of the office in the future for Victorian state employees.

Instead, he pointed to the private sector as the focus with plans to boost the office workforce from 50 per cent to 75 per cent in the near future “and then jump the public servants up to 50 per cent”.

However, longer term Mr Andrews said: “I think, just like every other employer, we will go through and speak to our staff, just as private businesses are, about what works for the employee.

“I think that for many people – I’ve tried to be pretty frank about this in the private sector and public sector context for months now – I think that 2020 means that for some people, in fact for many people working from home, not every day, but working from home a portion of the week is no longer a concept.

“It is something they have lived, something that works for them and it will be something that will be an enduring feature.

“How much that is a factor, whether it’s trying to put a percentage on it is not easy.”

[e-mail]