Working-from-home caps will be scrapped for thousands of Australian public sector workers — but business lobbyists in one capital city say any such moves at local level would be a “death knell” for CBD retail.
Key points:
- As part of the agreement, caps on the number of days staff can work from home will be removed
- The deal was reached between the Community and Public Sector Union and the Australian Public Service Commission
- Business lobby groups are concerned about potential ramifications for retail and productivity
The Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) yesterday announced it had struck a deal with the Australian Public Service Commission for more flexible working arrangements.
The deal includes an agreement to remove caps on the number of days staff can work from home, allowing them to stay at home permanently unless there were “clear business reasons” to refuse a request.
“Federal public servants can make a request to work from home,” CPSU National Secretary Melissa Donnelly told ABC Radio Perth.
“There are limited circumstances [where] it can be refused, but there’s a bias towards ‘yes’, and there are no caps.
“Some companies, some government agencies, have just come up with arbitrary rules about the number of days in the office and the number of days working from home, and this deal gets rid of those caps as well.”
The CPSU has more than 120,000 members across Australia and has described the deal as a “groundbreaking” one that would “open doors for individuals…
