Work-from-home rights are part of the current Australian Public Service enterprise agreement. Photo: File.
Flexible working arrangements in the Australian Public Service might continue as they are even under a Coalition government, despite Opposition pledges to force workers into the office five days a week.
The Coalition appears to have softened its position on public servants working from home, following a reported backlash inside Liberal Party ranks over the push to have them return to the office.
Currently, 61 per cent of APS employees work away from the office at least part of each week, with many working remotely full time.
The number is higher than it was at the height of COVID-19 when 55 per cent were working from home at least part time, and 22 per cent prior to the pandemic.
Earlier this month, shadow finance minister Jane Hume announced a Coalition policy that public servants return to the office to work full time, saying the APS needed to become more efficient.
A Peter Dutton-led government, she said, would take away public servants’ “blank cheque” to work from home.
“Using existing frameworks, it will be an expectation of a Dutton Liberal government that all members of the APS work from the office five days a week,” she said.
“Exceptions can and will be made, of course, but they will be made where they work for everyone rather than be enforced on teams by an individual.
“This is common sense policy that will instil a culture that focuses on the dignity of serving the public, a service that relies on the public to fund it, and a service that respects that funding by ensuring they are as productive as possible.”
The Opposition Leader backed his shadow minister when he was subsequently asked about the policy.
“There will be a commonsense approach as there always has been, but I am not going to tolerate a position where taxpayers are working harder than ever to pay their own bills and they’re seeing public servants in Canberra refuse to go to work,” Mr Dutton said.
However, following media reports last week of a revolt inside the Coalition over the policy, the Opposition Leader softened his stance, suggesting he wouldn’t be forcing the whole APS to work from the office all the time.
“I think they should return to work back to pre-COVID levels, which was about just over 20 per cent of people who work from home,” he said.
“I want Australians, particularly those who are working hard at the moment, to know that their tax dollars are being spent efficiently, which is why I don’t believe that in Canberra, 61 per cent of the public servants who are working in Canberra should be working from home.”
Region understands a backlash inside the Coalition has seen the policy watered down.
The push to force workers into the office full time, it was suggested to the leader, could be seen as anti-women and also a threat to those working flexibly in the private sector.
Public Service Minister Katy Gallagher responded to Mr Dutton’s latest remarks, saying he remained a threat to the public service.
“No wonder Peter Dutton’s own colleagues are asking what he stands for, especially after he keeps hanging them out to dry to save his own reputation,” she said.
“We know what he stands for – 36,000 APS job cuts and a wind back of flexible work arrangements, there is no doubting that.
“It’s clear that Peter Dutton simply doesn’t get how flexible work benefits families, particularly women.
“We know what works because women’s workforce participation is at record highs and their wages are up.
“Policy ideas copied from the US won’t work for Australian families.”
The Trump Administration in the US has cancelled remote working arrangements for the public sector and is slashing jobs and spending across agencies.
The Coalition has also promised to cut 36,000 APS jobs if elected.
Work-from-home rights were negotiated between the Federal Government as the Community and Public Sector Union in the last round of enterprise bargaining.
“These arrangements work well; and research has shown that working from home increases productivity,” CPSU national secretary Melissa Donnelly said.
“It also supports people to work more hours, earn more money, and balance things like caring responsibilities for little kids and ageing parents.”
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