Page 1528 - Week 06 - Thursday, 2 July 2020
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Another study out of Swinburne University found that nine out of 10 respondents said that the biggest advantage of working remotely was not having to commute, with 68 per cent enjoying the flexibility that working from home brought. Managers have also responded positively to these new arrangements, with 62 per cent believing that their teams would work from home more often following this crisis. I have heard from dozens of Canberrans who have said that it has been fantastic for their productivity, their work-life balance and their mental health.
However, while this transition to working from home has had a number of positive benefits for thousands of Canberrans in both the public and private sectors, we must also acknowledge that this change has not been positive for everyone. Many Canberrans have faced challenges and barriers while working from home, both physically and mentally. The Black Dog Institute has described a number of these barriers, and they include feelings of isolation, loneliness and disconnectedness; having difficulty staying motivated; feelings of uncertainty about performance; and insomnia and other sleep problems.
Just as this crisis has had a silver lining in improving the flexibility of our workforce, we must also acknowledge that working from home is not for everyone. It is critical that immediate and quality support be provided to those who have struggled and are struggling during this massive period of adjustment. Addressing a number of these issues raised through supportive workplace practices should be a priority for the government as we navigate our way out of this period of crisis. The Canberra Liberals will continue to support measures that allow more flexibility in workplace arrangements for ACT public servants and the ACT workforce more broadly—measures that support a healthy work-life balance, efficiency and greater productivity.
We want our ACT public service to be nation leading—an agile and innovative workforce that is renowned for being the best place to work in the country. This begins with giving our hardworking and dedicated public servants greater choice in their working conditions. That is why the Canberra Liberals are supporting this motion today.
MR RATTENBURY (Kurrajong) (3.56): I rise to speak in response to Mr Gupta’s motion regarding the ACT’s management of COVID-19 and the move to flexible work arrangements. The Greens support this motion and believe it opens a broader discussion that has been gaining significant traction over the years regarding how achieving work-life balance, job satisfaction, flexible working arrangements outside a typical nine to five Monday to Friday model and even a four-day work week provide greater opportunity in choice for workers. I note that Mr Gupta’s motion is not high on the latter point, but there is value in highlighting it in this debate.
As the motion notes, I will start by expressing my and the Greens’ appreciation to all the businesses, organisations and employers and workers in the ACT who have endured a lot throughout the COVID-19 pandemic period. We know that this has been difficult for many and I acknowledge that some have not had the fortunate position whereby work can be transitioned to home. As Miss Burch has noted, our frontline and essential workers have done an incredible job of maintaining service delivery and business.
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