New data reflect expectations that WFH is 'not an entitlement'
Work from home among public servants has taken a slight dip months after the government instructed them to return on-site.
Data released by the Public Service Commission (PSC) showed that public servants work from home for 0.85 days a week, down slightly from 0.89 days in the previous survey earlier this year.
According to the PSC data, 55% of all public servants do not work from home, or do so infrequently.
Nearly a quarter (22.3%) work from home twice a week, while 11% said they work from home once a week.
Friday remained the most common WFH day (21.3%) among public servants, followed by Monday (17.2%), and then Thursday (16.4%).
Office return for public servants
The data, gathered in July, come months after the government ordered public servants to return to workplaces.
"Working from home is not an entitlement and must be agreed and monitored," said former Public Service Minister Nicola Willis in a statement last year.
Under the instruction, working from home should be by agreement between the employee and the employer. It should also not compromise employees' performance.
The PSC's latest data reveal that 65% of public servants are in some form of flexible working arrangement, such as compressed hours, flexible start and finish times, or work from home.
Nearly half of managers (49%) also said working from home has either increased productivity or had no impact on performance.
"All working from home arrangements are now agreements between staff and their managers," said Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche in a statement.
"This reflects the government's expectation that working from home is not an entitlement."
According to the PSC, it will no longer be necessary to collect data on working from home because oversight has been embedded across the public service.
"But agencies and managers will continue to monitor working from home arrangements against the guidance," Roche said.
