NSW government tells public sector to return to office

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The New South Wales government has directed public servants to return to the office to an extent marking a change from Covid-19 flexible working arrangements. While the move has been praised by business groups unions say it’s not the end of working from home.

Transcript

00:00Well, this new directive from the Minsk government is a major change from the flexible working

00:06arrangements that were brought in during the COVID-19 period, and it's essentially asking

00:11workers to work principally in approved workspaces, coming into offices and state government buildings

00:17instead of working from home.

00:20It doesn't set any specific quotas or work patterns for these workers, but does ask that

00:24those public assets be used right across the week.

00:28There are still some flexibilities with ad hoc arrangements for flexible working, but

00:32those need to be approved ahead of time based on agency need and employee circumstances,

00:39and they are reviewed regularly.

00:41We've heard some of the response to this, and it's been celebrated by business groups

00:45and the property council, who say that bringing more workers into the city will revitalise

00:50the CBD, which they say has been lagging ever since COVID-19.

00:54However, we have heard from the union that this isn't an end to working from home, and

00:58they'll continue to fight for flexible working arrangements and support workers where needed.

01:04The NSW government will today hold a town hall meeting, providing some more clarity

01:08on these changes, and this system will be reviewed this time next year.

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