Employers across the country are grappling with a workplace predicament that will define this decade: should there be a mandated return to the office? / (min cost $ 0 ) or signup to continue reading Globally big businesses support a return to office. Google, Meta and Amazon have told employees they must be in the office three days a week, while locally, companies like ANZ and Origin Energy are using bonuses to lure workers back to the office. When speaking with my clients, many are locked in the same debate.
What do we do about remote work? Do we bring our team back into the office full time? Or do we maintain a hybrid work model? For me, the answer is simple: businesses must embrace remote work - if possible, or if it makes sense to their operations. The pandemic fundamentally changed the working landscape, driving many businesses to adopt remote work practices and this in turn has had a positive impact on employees. Our recent research indicates that 78 per cent of employees believe working remotely, at least part of the time, reduces the cost of living.
Two thirds of workers from marginalised groups agree that remote work protects them from discrimination, and half of all hybrid and remote workers would consider quitting if their employer mandated a full-time return to the office. If remote work is beneficial for the people actually doing the work, why disrupt it? One of my employees, Jade, lives in Mount Gambier and prior to joining Employment Hero, was travelling up to 8.