City of Melbourne exec hits out at return-to-office ‘divide’

A City of Melbourne executive has hit out at the barriers facing city workers, saying it’s easier to return to the office “when you have a company carpark and a Lexus”.

Ben Campbell says lower-class workers face barriers returning to work.

A top City of Melbourne employee says returning to the office might suit executives, but not lower-class employees.

The council’s head of brand and digital in strategic communications Ben Campbell, who is understood to be on a six-figure salary, wrote on LinkedIn last month: “Returning to the office is different if you’re in the working class, not the executive class”.

“Returning to the office is different if you have an unreliable car, poor health insurance, or you don’t have access to child care. (It) is different if you live in the outer suburbs and have a long commute or you live in a multi-generational household,” he said.

“But of course senior executives are happy to go back to the office. The office looks pretty good when you have a nice wardrobe, a company carpark and a Lexus.

“It’s great being able to spend $40 on lunch in the city each day. I’m looking forward to all of this. But then again, I am not the average employee. So it wouldn’t be fair for me to make these decisions.”

Mr Campbell told the Saturday Herald Sun: “This is a personal comment spoken in a personal context, and is in no way affiliated with the City of Melbourne.

“I am a regular commentator on how businesses can transform and adapt to change and I write often on this topic,” he said.

It comes after Lord Mayor Sally Capp urged workers to “hit play” on getting back to city workplaces.

Lord Mayor Sally Capp has urged office workers to return to the workplace. Picture: Ian Currie

“Masks are off indoors. We know masks were a huge physical barrier to returning to city workplaces – that barrier is gone,” Ms Capp said.

City of Melbourne chief executive Justin Hanney said hundreds of City of Melbourne staff worked in the CBD throughout each of the lockdown periods to ensure services including building, planning, health, library and community support services were provided to the community.

“A majority of our staff are already working in the city, and these numbers will increase dramatically over the coming weeks now that wearing masks in the office is no longer mandated by the government,” he said.

“The Lord Mayor and the City of Melbourne are actively engaging with city employers to encourage as many of their workers to return to their city offices as soon and as frequently as possible – and this can only happen if we continue to lead by example.”