Victoria to be ‘work from home haven’

Just as one Australian state orders staff back to the office, another is promising a work from home utopia.

Victoria is hoping to poach staff from New South Wales in the process, reported The Australian.

The Victorian Government has even said that government employees from north of the Murray “should consider moving to Victoria”.

The comments come as NSW Premier Chris Minns demands public sector employees work on site five days a week.

On Monday, an email from Simon Draper, the secretary of the NSW Premier’s Department, spelled out that staff were expected to be in an office or otherwise outside the home “across the whole working week”.

“Government-sector employees should work principally in an approved office, workplace or related work site,” Mr Draper wrote.

Separate government departments needed to put plans in place to “progressively implement these changes,” he said.

The move has been lauded by business and hospitality groups which are keen to see foot traffic increase in CBDs and other major centres where offices are located.

The move has put pressure on the Victorian Government to consider pushing more of its workers back to the office.

Plea to get staff back to offices

Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece said he “welcomed” moves by NSW Government to get staff back in offices and said Victoria should adopt the same approach.

“At the City of Melbourne, we expect people to work from the office, while also implementing modern flexible arrangements for those who need it,” he said last week.

The Herald Sun examined data from pedestrian sensors near public sector buildings in Melbourne’s CBD in June and found there were lower levels of foot traffic than other parts of the city centre suggesting government employees were staying at home.

Melbourne’s office vacancy rate is currently the highset in the nation at 18 per cent for the six months to July.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Paul Guerra told the Herald Sun there was “greater productivity, innovation and economic uplift,” from people “working together in an office environment. On top of that, there is clear economic benefit to the city economy.”

‘Consider moving to Victoria’

But the Victorian Government has said it won’t change its directives to staff.

“We have no plans to roll back the existing flexible working arrangements,” a statement from 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.”

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.

The NSW Government said there could still be some flexibility in working arrangements such as staggered staff working times and jobs shares.

It also acknowledged increasing on site working hours would not go down well with everyone.

“Regardless of your own circumstances, I ask that everyone work with their colleagues and agency leaders to adjust, just as we did when working from home was suddenly mandated four years ago,” Mr Draper wrote.