WFH trend creating ‘non-constructive’ culture.

 

West Australian Premier Mark McGowan has copped flak over his “old-fashioned” views of people working from home.

 

The Premier denied he was opposed to flexible working arrangements but declared an “old-fashioned” preference for people to stop working from home now that the risk of Covid-19 has eased.

 

“I’m a little bit old-fashioned about people going into work. I mean police officers, construction workers, mining workers, teachers, nurses, journalists and lots of people out there go to work,” he told reporters last week.

 

“It creates collegiality, it creates a culture that’s constructive, people work together to achieve outcomes.

 

“Everyone sitting in their kitchen on their laptops I don’t think generates that,” he said

 

McGowan said people working in retail, restaurants and cafes were also disadvantaged if workers were not regularly going to the CBD.

 

“Sometimes there are requirements, you can negotiate it with your employer to work from home, sometimes you might work appropriately in individual circumstances,” he said.

 

“But across the board working from home I just don’t think it’s good for society and good for the community”, he said.

 

Footnote: Data released from the Property Council of Australia shows Perth’s office occupancy levels recently topped 70 per cent, the highest in the country. Perth Lord Mayor Basil Zempilas said the August occupancy rate (which has since slipped to below 70 per cent) was the strongest recorded since November 2021, following historic lows induced by the pandemic.