Greens raise concerns that public servants are being told they can’t work from home

Concerns have been raised that there are too many public servants being forced to work in their office instead of from home.

TOO many public servants were being required to attend their workplaces when they could be working from home, the Greens say.

Party leader Cassy O’Connor said she had raised the issue with the Government and would do so again.

Keeping workers at home to limit social contact is one of the key measures being used to fight the spread of the coronavirus.

“It’s very worrying that public servants, whose roles have the flexibility, and who’re ready and able to work from home, are being told they can’t,” Ms O’Connor said.

“The Greens have been contacted by hardworking public servants, particularly from DPIPWE, who are still being told to go into the office or face a small mountain of red tape to be allowed to work safely from home.

“We understand agencies have had to adapt and it seems most have, but it’s critical this happens fast so that all but the most essential state servants can continue to do their important work outside their offices.”

Premier Peter Gutwein said arrangements were in place for all public servants who could do so to work from home.

“I’m not encountering resistance and it depends on which agency,” he said.

“For example, in Treasury, the vast majority of Treasury are working from home, that is not a customer-facing agency and their work is largely administrative — important but largely administrative.

“Across the public sector it varies between agencies depending on the level of frontline staff that they have.

“Secretaries are working with all of their staff to be as flexible as they possibly can and I would say that I would say that wherever possible the vast majority of public servants will be working from home.”