The Government will crack down on public servants working from home, saying it wants to see more of them in the office.
Public Service Minister Nicola Willis announced the new guidance at the Government’s post-Cabinet media conference this afternoon.
“Updated guidance for the public service will make clear that working from home is not an entitlement and must be agreed and monitored”.
The move is likely to be welcomed by businesses in Central Wellington that have been struggling for customers. Hospitality outlets have cited the prevalence of remote working as one reason for their predicament.
Willis said working from home arrangements can benefit both workers and employers, but that there are also downsides for both groups if it’s done too much.
“That’s even before we consider the effects for the CBD retailers, restaurants and cafes.”
The Public Service Commissioner has been asked to relay the Government’s new expectations to chief executives, along with revised guidance.
This will underline that working from home is “not an entitlement and should be by agreement between employee and employer”, and that such arrangements are only agreed to when they don’t compromise the performance of workers and their agency.
Agencies will also have to monitor and report on working-from-home agreements, and regularly relay details about the nature of them to the Public Service Commission.
One work-from-home staffer unhappy with change
One public sector worker with a young family told 1News today that returning to the office would be a “logistical nightmare,” and “it would suck.”
They said working from home offered flexibility with things like daily school runs, which also meant they didn’t have to pay for childcare costs.
Another public servant answered yes, when asked if any of their colleagues take advantage of working from home.
“We have two days a week you need to be in the office, and we know that not everyone gets that right,” they said.
It comes as Wellington restaurant Egmont Street Eatery is set to shut up shop at the end of the week, leaving 17 people without jobs.
Managing director Simon Pepping said times in the capital recently have been tough.
“It’s a number of issues over the last couple of years. Lots to do with people working from home,” he said.
By Adam Ray
