The first decline in working from home since the pandemic raises questions about the future of remote work in Australia.
As we approach the New Year, many Australians are questioning their readiness to return to work. Beyond personal feelings about work itself, a growing number are also facing the prospect of returning to their physical workplaces. Australia has witnessed a decline in people working from home ( WFH ) for the first time since 2020, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data.
This begs the question: has Australia reached peak WFH? With hybrid and remote work arrangements continuing to transform Australian workplaces and expectations of both employees and employers, are Australians prepared for the so-called 'great return' to the office? The ABS data reveals a decrease in WFH over the past year, with 36 percent of employed individuals usually working from home, down from 37 percent in August 2023. This marks the first decline since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when the percentage of Australians working from home surged from 32.1 percent to a high of 53 percent. However, this shift has been unevenly distributed across different sectors. Sectors like education, healthcare, and construction report significantly lower levels of remote work compared to professional services, finance, and IT, as per the ABS. Approximately 41 percent of employed Australians reported working from home at least one day a week, primarily driven by a desire for more flexibility or the ability to choose their own hours (25 percent). Following closely was operating a business from home or having a home-based job (23 percent), and the ability to catch up on work after hours (21 percent). Dr. Zen Goh, a senior lecturer at Monash University's Department of Management, emphasizes that creating a work environment where employees can truly flourish should be a top priority for employers looking to attract them back to the office
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