Steve Price argues no one should WFH amid huge change for NSW public servants

As NSW orders public servants back into the office, Steve Price has argued people only “pretend” to work at home and it has gone on too long.

Steve Price has hit out at NSW public service workers complaining about a mandated return to working in the office, arguing it should have happened sooner.

On Monday, NSW Premier Chris Minns’ department directed all government agencies to adopt new policies that make it mandatory for “staff to work principally at an approved workplace, office or related work site”. Offices will need to be used across all days of the working week and if any exceptions are made, formal agreements for a defined period are required with the reasons and circumstances.

Speaking on The Project about the end to working from home, host Sarah Harris said the public servants had “a pretty good run” before Price argued it was about time things changed.

“Why has it taken so long?” he said. “No one should be able to work from home in grimy tracky dacks and put their feet up on a desk and go out the back and feed the dog while they’re supposed to be working – you get to work. Go to work.”

Steve Price argued that working from home arrangements should have been abandoned sooner. Picture: Ten

Georgie Tunny, who appeared more sympathetic to those who would be impacted by the change, challenged Price.

“But do you think this is a necessary move? I feel like flexibility these days is quite important,” she said.

“Oh do you now? Well if I’m your boss you come to the office, you sit behind a desk and you work because I can keep an eye on you,” Price responded.

“But I say, ‘Pricey what if I can exactly the same amount of work from home and you’ll see me Monday, Wednesday, Friday?’” Tunny said.

“You pretend to do the same stuff at home but you’re actually down the shop,” he claimed of the hypothetical situation.

Georgie Tunny said flexibility was important these days but Price suggested people only pretend their working at home. Picture: Ten

Comedian Sam Taunton then told Price “the game has changed”.

“If you’re working in a job where you’re just sending emails, I don’t actually know what people actually do for a job, but I’ve seen them on computers and that looks like something you could do at home,” Taunton argued.

“Why don’t we get you to work form home?” Price quipped.

In Victoria, where The Project is filmed, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece and Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Paul Guerra praised NSW’s move.

However, the Victorian government made clear it would not be copying, and encouraged disgruntled NSW staff to come over the border.

“We have no plans to roll back the existing flexible working arrangements,” a statement from Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan’s office declared.

“We know that flexibility in the workplace helps more women stay in work and more women in the workforce is better for everyone.

“Any public servants from New South Wales who like flexibility in their workplace should consider moving to Victoria.”

Victorian public servants are expected to work from the office three days a week.

Mr Minns defended his decision and fired back at the Victorian government.

“At the end of the day, frankly, with all of the lockdowns in Melbourne, I would have thought a lot of people in Victoria would be desperate to get out of the house, but that’s a matter for them,” he said, according to the Herald Sun.

Further north, the Queensland Government said it encouraged employees to work from the office “wherever possible” but there was no plans to change its flexible working polices.

Originally published as Steve Price argues no one should WFH amid huge change for NSW public servants