Australian Unions warn that the Coalition Leader’s plan to ban work-from-home arrangements in the public sector will reduce women’s job opportunities and drive down productivity.
Nearly one million more women have found work in the last four years, due in part to an increase in work-from-home arrangements around the country.
Work-from-home arrangements have increased from 32.1 per cent pre-COVID to around 36.3 per cent of Australian workers today.
At the same time, more women than ever have been able to get into the workforce. This has lifted women’s workplace participation rate from 61 per cent pre-COVID to 63.5 per cent now – the highest level of working women the country has seen.
The increase in women’s workforce participation has been supported by stronger rights to request flexible work arrangements under the Albanese Government’s Secure Jobs Better Pay Reforms, which passed the Parliament in 2022 despite Coalition opposition.
A report by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia found work from home policies have
boosted employment for women, putting more money in their pockets and benefitting employers and the economy as well.
Work-from-home arrangements increased employment among women with young children by 8.5 per cent and led to higher rates of job satisfaction and a 33 per cent decline in employee attrition due to reduced absenteeism, improved employee engagement and mental health.
The findings contradict the Coalition’s claim that work-from-home policies are dragging down productivity. Shadow Finance Minister Jane Hume cited a Stanford University report to back up her claims, despite the same report finding that hybrid working arrangements increased productivity and employee satisfaction.
Quotes attributable to ACTU President, Michele O’Neil:
“Work-from-home in sectors where it is possible has been a game changer for working people, particularly women. Giving people the opportunity to choose flexible working arrangements, has boosted productivity and increased women’s workforce participation to record highs.
“Peter Dutton’s one-size-fits-all approach will take us backwards. Having the freedom to work from home has helped a million extra women enter the workforce in the past four years, particularly working mothers, carers, and people with disabilities and health conditions. This has meant less financial stress for households.
“Peter Dutton said that people learn by osmosis and learn from the people around them. He could start by learning from women’s working experiences, instead of trying to make life harder for working families.
“Working people in our outer suburbs face some of the longest and most expensive commutes. Forcing hundreds of thousands of workers back on the roads will mean less time with your kids and more time stuck in traffic.
“Banning public sector workers from working from home shows that the Coalition has a massive blind spot when it comes to understanding the pressures modern families face.”
