All public servants in NSW who currently work from home will be made to return to the office as businesses continue to struggle across Sydney‘s CBD.
Premier Chris Minns announced that anyone employed by the government who is still working from home will be made to return to the office from Tuesday.
The announcement was made in a government-wide memorandum to all departments on Monday.
Businesses in the CBD have been struggling to break even since residents started working from home during the Covid pandemic.
The new rules from the premier’s department dictate that public servants will now be expected to work from approved office spaces every day of the working week.
Limited flexibility will still be permitted in cases of job-share arrangements or compressed hours, but most workers will return to the office full-time.
The memorandum warned that existing work-from-home arrangements, which were introduced in 2019, ‘should not be taken for granted or considered unlimited’.
‘The more our experience of work is shared, the more united we become. This means being physically present in our organisations,’ it continued.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has issued a government wide memorandum that all public servants must return to the office from Tuesday
The new rules stem from businesses throughout Sydney’s CBD struggling to break even since people started working from home during the pandemic
Public servants who wish to work from home will now have to provide reasons why their hybrid arrangements are needed, which will then require formal approval.
This approval will be reviewed regularly.
Public servants who want to work outside of the state will also need approval from the head of their department.
A follow-up email from the NSW Premier’s Department secretary Simon Draper confirmed that worker’s attendance at the office will be required across the entire week.
‘The NSW public sector is the largest workforce in the country,’ he wrote.
‘All positions play a vital role in delivering services to the community and upholding good government in NSW.’
Executive director of Business Sydney, Paul Nicolaou, celebrated the news.
‘This is fantastic news and great leadership by the Premier,’ he said.
‘Employers are telling Business Sydney we have to get really serious about getting the CBD back to its pre-Covid footing.
‘The city needs more foot traffic hence more workers back to the city to support the hundreds of businesses and enterprises that depend on them.’
