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Third Of Public Servants Work From Home One Day A Week, New Data Shows
The union for public servants says the government should be embarrassed by its own data that showed public servants worked less than one day per week from home on average.
The data released on Friday showed about a third (33 percent) of public servants worked at least one day from home a week.
More than half (55 percent) of government staff said they didn't typically work from home according to the Public Service Commission.
On average, public servants worked less than one day (0.9 days) a week from home.
It comes after Public Service Minister Nicola Willis told department bosses in September last year, that she wanted to see more people back in the office and that working from home was not an entitlement and should be by agreement only.
Last month, the union the Public Service Association took legal action filing a claim with the Employment Relations Authority, saying the directive violated agreed upon flexible working principles.
On Friday, the PSA said working from home by public servants was not the big problem it was made out to be.
"The government's appalling attack on public servants working from home has been exposed for what it really is - a flimsy attempt to deflect from its own decisions to axe thousands of workers," said Fleur Fitzsimons acting national secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
"The reckless and rushed job cuts ordered by the government are what has been hurting Wellington's CBD businesses. Ordering public servants to spend more time in the office when in fact most are already working most days of the week in the office is just stupid policy. It won't offset the economic damage its austerity policies have inflicted.
"International evidence shows flexible work drives greater productivity. The PSA's own survey last year showed 85 percent of members saying it improved the work they do, that means delivering the better outcomes the government wants.
"The government promised evidence-based decision-making. It should have waited before launching its attack on flexible work practices.
"It's directive to order public servants to spend more time in the office has been over-egged for purely political ends - public servants deserve better."
Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the new data provided a clear picture of working from home arrangements across the public service.
"The data helps us to be more transparent and accountable. My expectation is that agencies will continue to monitor the arrangements against the updated guidance, which reflects the government's expectations," Sir Brian said.
The data, which was collected in October and November last year also found Friday was the most common day staff worked from home at 23 percent.
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