Coalition joins the call for workers going back to the office.

 

Flexible working conditions are fast becoming a major election issue as the federal opposition joins CBD councils, state governments and large corporates in urging workers back into the office.

 

Federal public servants would be required to work from the office five days a week under a Coalition government, with Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume saying the workforce had shown a "lack of respect for the work that went into earning the taxes they spend".

 

Finance Minister Katy Gallagher said a return to office order would limit work opportunities for women, adding "clearly the opposition have no idea about how modern working families operate.”

 

Meantime, Melbourne Lord Mayor Nick Reece has urged the Victorian government to take a tougher line on public servants’ attendance in the workplace as the CBD lags well behind other capitals in the return of workers to city offices.

 

The Victorian public service has a flexible work policy, with a default position of three days a week in the office, with arrangements tailored to individual circumstances. Departments and agencies are responsible for implementing the flexible work policy for their workforces.

 

Last August the office of NSW Premier Chris Minns issued a memo ordering government employees to work primarily from the office.

 

The average number of days now required in the workplace has risen to 3.8 from 2.5 in June 2023, according to a Barrenjoey analysis of office mandates issued by multinationals, which are key office tenants in Australia.