NSW is banning remote work: Is it time to relook at your WFH policy?

Do you need help getting your employees back into the office? 

The NSW government reignited the working-from-home debate and sparked outrage a few weeks ago when it ordered all public servants to return to the office for at least three days a week.

Naturally, thousands of public servants revolted. The Victorian government used the opportunity to invite employees who value flexibility to move to Victoria and promised a utopia of hybrid work.   

Experts, economists and executives debate a fine line between office facetime and personal flexibility, with some arguing that working from home is killing productivity, not to mention the city's retail, commercial property and hospitality sectors. 

On the other side of the fence, people think mandating a return to the office would unravel the back pocket savings like reduced transport costs and day-to-day expenses for employees. It would also be terrible for staff retention and increase unemployment, as parents with young children would be less likely to put themselves forward for work.

The issue of remote work will always divide the boardroom. 

The debate often comes down to productivity: are remote teams more productive than teams in the office? 

Elon Musk put his foot down last year and told Tesla employees that remote work is out the door. Google told employees it would show up on their performance review if they didn’t return to the office. And Salesforce promised to donate $10 to a charity if employees returned to the office. 

With public servants in NSW now returning to the office five days a week, private industries will follow suit. As an HR manager, you should use this opportunity to reassess your policy. Apply common sense to see what’s best for you and your employees. So if it’s a question of flexibility and productivity, why not merge the two and take a flexible approach to productivity?

Let’s look at the legal and practical implications and the question of productivity.

The legals

As you know in Australia, you can ask an employee to return to the office. Employees who refuse to follow the rules could breach their employment agreement. Now, there are ‘reasonable’ grounds for refusal, and you should turn your mind to what those are before you stare down the barrel of a possible employment breach. 

It’s worth revisiting your working-from-home guidelines or remote work policy to clarify work expectations and processes. 

The practicality 

It’s not secret that many employees desire and value flexibility. 

About half of Australian employees believe that working remotely helps reduce living expenses. 

Finance and insurance are the most flexible industries, with 85% of staff working from home. Information media and telecommunications remote work rates are at 75%, and administrative workers who are 75% female, have soared from 18% to 48% in the past two years. So in those industries, organisations with flexible working policies are more likely to retain staff and refer potential employees. 

There should be a genuine reason for an employee to come into the office because there isn’t much point dragging them in as an attendance requirement if they’ll end up on video calls all day.

Productivity 

Experts, executives and economists believe that working 100% remotely is not as efficient as working in the office—but they generally agree that flexibility is important. 

We know that employees perform best in their productive work zones. These may not sit in the traditional 9—5 schedule. And that’s true whether employees are in the office or at home.

So if management is hell-bent on shepherding employees back into the office, it makes sense to adopt a flexible approach to productivity too. Your organisation could consider letting employees work when they feel more productive instead of focusing on the 9–5 standardised work schedule. 

For example, introduce flexible start and end times like 7—3 or 8—4, allowing employees to choose when they begin and finish their workday. This flexible approach to productivity can help accommodate different personal schedules, reduce stress, and maintain high levels of productivity without needing to work from home. 

Another strategy could be trialling a shorter work week for interested employees. This can provide a similar sense of flexibility to remote work without entirely shifting away from a productive environment.

Or, if you’re not prepared to change work schedules, you could let employees take breaks when needed. Whether it’s a quick walk, a coffee, or even a short meditation—they can return to their tasks feeling refreshed and more productive. This still takes a flexible approach to productivity by acknowledging that employees have different energy levels and work rhythms throughout the day.