On the same day Australia’s latest gender pay gap figures were released, Peter Dutton pledged that he would scrap work from home arrangements for all Commonwealth public sector workers.
When asked how this policy would impact working women, Mr Dutton responded, “There are plenty of job-sharing arrangements.”
Mr Dutton is, in effect, asking women to cut their working days and therefore lose take home pay.
Notwithstanding the fact that forcing workers back to the office would be in breach of their enterprise agreement, it demonstrates Mr Dutton and the LNP’s complete lack of understanding of how WFH and flexible work arrangements benefit our society.
And make no mistake: should the LNP succeed in removing public sector workers’ right to WFH (which would impact our members at the RBA), it will set a dangerous precedent for other employers – including finance sector employers, many of whom are already trying to force workers back to the office full time.
In fact, according to ACTU modelling, one in three workers could be impacted nationally from the flow-on effect from public to private sector workers.
Both employees and employers benefit from flexible work arrangements like WFH policies. Studies (including one that was referenced by the LNP itself) show that productivity increases when employees can work a hybrid arrangement.
Perhaps most importantly, however, WFH arrangements are good for gender equality.
Given that 35.7% of women cite caring for children as the main reason they are unavailable to start work or work more hours (compared to just 7.3% of men), there is no doubt that WFH arrangements are changing this for the better.
Here are the facts:
Peter Dutton’s policy, which has been borrowed from US President Donald Trump’s recent scrapping of WFH arrangements for all federal workers, contrasts with the reforms implemented by the Albanese Labor Government over recent years.
FSU National Secretary Julia Angrisano said the Federal Government’s ‘Secure Jobs, Better Pay’ legislation strengthened the rights of workers to access flexible working arrangements.
“The laws essentially transformed it from a mere ‘right to request’ to a ‘right to a change in working arrangements’,” said Julia.
“Previously, the right to request flexible work was not enforceable, and if a request was refused there was no ability to challenge the decision.
“This was a clear gap in the safety net that discriminated against workers with family responsibilities.
“The strengthened provision now means that bosses must respond to a request, and it gives workers the right of review in the Fair Work Commission with access to arbitration.
“Because of this change, we are seeing more flexible work requests being approved in the finance sector.”
The right to flexible work is now part of today’s modern workforce. It’s disappointing that the alternative federal government has committed to taking us backwards and locking millions of workers who live in outer suburbs into hours-long commutes.
It is, however, consistent with Peter Dutton’s stance on blocking or stripping back workers’ rights – he and the LNP voted against a raft of reforms that benefit working women, including the right to disconnect, pay transparency laws, and super being paid on Commonwealth paid parental leave.
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