Half of Australia’s workers would sacrifice salary to be allowed to work from home

WHILE wage growth has been slow, half of Australia’s workforce say they would be happy to take a pay cut for this change in lifestyle.

HALF the Australian workforce would reduce their pay for the ability to work from home, yet only a third of organisations have mobile employees.

The Telsyte Australian Digital Workplace Study 2017, released by nbn, finds 51 per cent of workers would forgo a portion of their pay in exchange for significant flexibility – including more than a quarter who would happily earn 5 per cent less and one in sixteen who would cut 20 per cent from their income.

Just 35 per cent of respondents would rather work in an office five days a week than do at least a day from home.

“Australia is a lifestyle-driven nation and the flexi-working movement, assisted by access to fast broadband, is opening up new opportunities for Australian workers to pursue meaningful careers while also prioritising personal commitments,” social researcher and generational expert Claire Madden says.

IT workers are the mostly to work from home at least one day a week. Picture: iStock.

“Gen Z will further drive the flexi-work movement as they step into the workforce, being our most technologically literate and connected generation.”

Although 84 per cent of organisations report having at least one system to support mobile workers, just 34 per cent of organisations actually have staff working from home at least one day a week.

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Uptake is most common among IT workers (25 per cent), senior management (21 per cent), sales representatives (20 per cent), operations staff (18 per cent) and marketing staff (17 per cent).

It is least common among call centre staff (5 per cent), field workers (9 per cent), customer service representatives (10 per cent), and administration staff (12 per cent).

A survey by Career Inside Track reveals about nine in 10 managers and employees believe flexible work improves staff loyalty, morale and job satisfaction.

About the same portion believe it helps employees balance their career with family and personal goals, enables higher attraction and retention, and creates a more diverse workplace.

Steve Krinks works from home in the Blue Mountains. Picture: David Swift

Steve Krinks, co-founder and chief marketing officer of business-to-business advisory service Real Time Minds, works from home, allowing him to live outside of a capital city.

“All I really need is a laptop and a connection and my phone so I can work anywhere,” he says.

“I don’t have to work from home but I choose to because it’s close to the coffee machine and fridge.”

Krinks says his colleagues are based all over Australia and New Zealand so 95 per cent of their work is remote and online.

“I live in a beautiful environment in the Blue Mountains and can sit on the back deck and enjoy the view. I’m more productive at home,” he says.

“Living up here, the costs are a lot lower. Paying Sydney rent or mortgage, I wouldn’t be able to afford to do what I am doing. I take one day off a week and look after my daughter and life is good.”

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