The real problem in the public sector is ongoing job losses and cuts to the front line.

“Having people work in the office does have benefits, but when you’re laying people off indiscriminately that will have a much greater effect on team dynamics, productivity, and the local economy,” Acting Labour Leader Carmel Sepuloni.

“There are plenty of valid reasons to work from home. There are also lots of benefits to having people come into the office. It should be up to employers to get that balance right, not some performative government direction.

“Christopher Luxon and Nicola Willis are blaming those who work from home for parts of the week for their problems, rather than acknowledging the more than 6000 people who have been laid off as a result of their government’s decisions.

“They also made this announcement without any hard data telling them there was a problem in the first place.

“They should take a step back and consider what their layoffs are doing to morale and to whether people want to be in the office.

“When people don’t have a job and an income, or are worried they won’t have one soon, they are also less likely to spend money and support their local economy,” Carmel Sepuloni said.

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