Ryan Bridge: Bureaucrats shouldn't get work from home flexibility

Remember the outrage over bureaucrats working for home, even though Covid was a distant memory?

The Government came in and said they should all pack their lunch and go back to work. Problem is, this isn't happening.

As you'll know from listening to this show, ACC has already staged a backdown, now MBIE is doing the same.

To her credit, Fleur Fitzsimons at the PSA union, has lawyered up and successfully argued workers' collective contacts allowed them to work from home. Now, the policy to restrict WFH, or what they call 'flexible work', is heading for the bin.

Some ACC staff only have to be in the office two days a week - the equivalent of a weekend at the office. Days off, or at home, are usually Fridays and Mondays, conveniently.

This is all in spite of the fact management at ACC said staff are less productive and it's a culture killer.

Now I don't blame the workers here, or the Union. They're exercising their rights and won before it even got to Employment Relations Authority.

Good on them.

But for anyone who runs a business in the private sector, or works in one, this sort of stuff makes your blood boil.

If it's good enough for us, why not them? Do they really work as much or efficiently at home?

Why was this clause written into their collective contracts the first place? Surely, once they expire, the next offer of work might require workers to actually turn up for work.

Ryan Bridge is a New Zealand broadcaster who has worked on many current affairs television and radio shows. He currently hosts Newstalk ZB's Early Edition - where this article was sourced.