SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) – In what is seen as a milestone for a country with very low pandemic cases, an order to work from home to tackle the spread of infections in the most populous state of Australia expired on Monday. However, many firms are mulling to put in place flexible work arrangements into 2021.
The state of New South Wales (NSW), which is home to the biggest city Sydney, said it was proceeding with a plan to lift the public health order that was in place for most of the year in the wake of zero local infections for the tenth consecutive day.
However, it appears the move is symbolic as the state’s employers, which comprise some of the biggest firms in the nation, have no plans to change the status quo and order employees to return to office, 10 days from the start of the Christmas season.
“There’s still a big mountain to climb in terms of people coming back,” said Jane Fitzgerald, executive director of the Property Council of Australia’s NSW unit.
According to the property council, occupancy at Sydney central business district stood at 45%, compared to more than 90% before the outbreak of the pandemic. Two-thirds of property council members expected a “material increase” in CBD occupancy after three months or longer.
This change puts NSW, which has a third of Australia’s 25 million population, way ahead of other states and territories when it comes to resuming pre-pandemic arrangements for white collar workers.
The second most populous state of Victoria has curbs on office workers, capping the attendance limit at 25%. Most other states and territories have a general directive to firms to allow staff to telecommute if they prefer to do so.
One of the biggest companies in the country, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia headquartered in Sydney, said its staff would begin returning to their workplace. “We will be working with our people on an approach that is successful for our customers, for teams and for individuals,” it said in a statement.