‘Will not be popular’: Unions slam premier over work from home call

The state’s top union leader has lashed the Minns government’s push to get public sector workers back in the office, arguing employees were blindsided by the shift away from working from home.

NSW Premier Chris Minns’ department this week issued a directive requiring all non-frontline public servants to work “principally” from an approved office, workplace or related work site.

Premier Chris Minns wants public sector employees to work “principally” from the office from now on.Credit: Sam Mooy

A government circular outlining the changes did not prescribe a required pattern of attendance and said individual agencies would be responsible for designing and monitoring their policies.

“The starting position is that work is principally done in an approved workplace in NSW,” the circular said.

The edict prompted a furious response from Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey, who said he had been inundated with feedback from members “stunned” by the shift. Morey warned the government faced “all manner of industrial and legal challenges” for its decision to “rush out” the policy change.

“Working parents, and working mums in particular, have made significant life decisions on the basis of being able to work flexibly. This includes everything from childcare and transport through to the suburb or region they have chosen to live in.

“Many now feel the rug has been pulled from under them with no notice.”

The department’s advice said government agencies should aim to achieve an “even spread [of workers] across the working week”. Minns has said public sector employees would be required to work a minimum of three days in the office.

Morey said while some landlords and businesses in Sydney’s CBD might have suffered from a drop in occupancy or trade due to flexible work, many in the suburbs and regional areas had flourished.

“Compelling workers to absorb the increased childcare and transport costs of attending the Sydney CBD during a cost-of-living crisis will not be popular,” he said.

Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey says members have made big life decisions based on working-from-home arrangements.Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

Minns said during question time on Tuesday the shift was a “commonsense approach” to ensure young public sector workers could gain knowledge and support from more experienced colleagues.

“These changes are being pursued so we can promote teamwork, mentoring, and a sense of shared mission inside the NSW public sector and provide world-class public services to taxpayers.”

Minns said 85 per cent of the state’s 400,000 public sector employees were frontline workers, such as schoolteachers, health workers, corrective services officers, police, paramedics and firefighters.

He said flexible work set-ups, introduced in the pandemic for those who could work remotely, “were not permanent additions to the arrangements between employer and employee” in the public sector.

Government agencies have been encouraged to ensure an even spread of public servants are in the office throughout the working week. Credit: Dominic Lorrimer

“Individual agencies will now develop their own policies to implement this change. But, crucially, that work must begin immediately.”

NSW Health said in an email to its workers it would review the advice and plan how to roll it out to relevant staff, noting many employees worked in hospitals and health services, or attended other sites.

But it said the availability of flexible work arrangements would continue and were unchanged by the department’s advice.

“This updated advice does not mandate a particular pattern of attendance, but it is a starting point that work is primarily done in an approved workplace in NSW,” the email said.

“We recognise flexible arrangements help attract and retain talented people, particularly people with carer responsibilities and other commitments outside of work.”

Public Service Association (PSA) general secretary Stewart Little said the union had always fought for flexible working arrangements for non-frontline members.

“This includes, where possible, working from home for those whose roles do not rely on them attending a specific site.

“The PSA also understands that some worksites cannot physically accommodate all employees working onsite at any one time.

“We are asking our members to check their department’s policies and procedures, as the operational requirements for each agency are different.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.