Blues president Luke Sayers urges CBD workers to return to office

Business leader and Blues footy club boss Luke Sayers is urging employers to entice their staff back to the office in an attempt to reinvigorate the city.

Luke Sayers and his daughters Bronte 18 and Alle 20. Picture: David Caird

Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers says employers should entice more staff back to offices to help their personal development while boosting the CBD’s “ecosystem”.

The business leader, who established advisory firm Sayers during the pandemic, said he had been firm on encouraging employees to work from the Collins St office or from client sites.

“We are a new company trying to build a new culture (with) lots of new people that don’t know one another,” he said.

“To do that you need to be with other people.”

Luke Sayers and his daughters Bronte, 18, and Alle, 20. Picture: David Caird

Mr Sayers said business leaders also had “civic responsibilities” to encourage CBD activity.

“I feel like businesses and employers, they’ve got a bit of a responsibility for all the restaurants and the coffee shops and the retail outlets and all the ecosystem that there is in the city, that make the CBD a vibrant, amazing place,” he said.

The father-of-four said flexibility was still available “if you need to drop the kids at school, or pick the kids up from school”, but large periods of isolation were discouraged.

Carlton Football Club president Luke Sayers. Picture: Arsineh Houspian

“If they’re hidden away in their study, in their jimjams, on Zoom for 10, 12 hours a day, that’s not a good thing for mental health, it’s not good for teamwork, collaboration, or learning,” he said.

Mr Sayers made the call as part of the Herald Sun Big V Interview, in which he opens up about family life and the Blues’ season hopes.

The influential businessman is also candid about his “mate” Dan Andrews, and ugly rumours surrounding the premier’s infamous fall down wet steps in 2021.