Aussie businesses settle views on WFH mandate

As conversations and debates around changes to the work-from-home mandate continue to circle, new data has revealed that most employers plan to keep their current mandates in place.

New data from recruitment firm Robert Half has found that employers believe they have suitable working arrangements in place that work well for their workforce, with no need or desire to change their office mandates.

The research found that 74 per cent of Australian employers planned to maintain their current in-office and/or hybrid working arrangements for the next 12 months.

Andrew Brushfield, Robert Half director, said that with increased conversation and speculation around what working arrangements should be mandated for workplaces, many had come to an independent decision on what worked best.

“The period of intense uncertainty and constant change around office mandates has settled for the vast majority of businesses,” he said.

“Maintaining their current stance suggests a market that has found its equilibrium. The predominant choice is a hybrid model, which is no longer seen as a temporary fix but as a strategic standard that balances in-person collaboration with the demand for flexible work.”

As previously reported by Accountants Daily, the Victorian government planned to mandate two work-from-home days per week for all workers, which the Greens suggested be mandated nationally.

From a small-business perspective, Two Sides Accounting founder Natalie Lennon said this would not be a suitable arrangement for small businesses and it was crucial that workplaces were able to choose what worked best for them and their staff.

“Most small-business owners struggle enough to manage a team, let alone manage them from home. It also needed to be limited to senior staff. How can you train and assist a junior to learn and do their work if they are working from home?” she said.

According to the Robert Half data, 15 per cent of employers planned to increase the mandated number of in-office days over the next 12 months, with 14 per cent requiring their employees to spend more time in the office while still allowing some work-from-home flexibility.

From the employers looking to increase time in the office, only 1 per cent of them planned to increase their office mandate to have their employees onsite for five days a week over the next year.

Nine per cent of employers intended to decrease the mandated time in the office for employees in an attempt to give them greater flexibility to work from home, Robert Half revealed.

The majority, 71 per cent, planned to continue allowing their staff to keep their current hybrid work-from-home schedule as it benefited both their company and employees in various areas such as employee satisfaction and wellbeing, increased productivity, employee attraction and retention, reduced operational costs and inclusivity.

Brushfield said that from the research, 29 per cent of employers who planned to introduce or maintain a five-day in-office mandate were largely doing so for “business reasons”.

The business reasons cited mostly encapsulated increased productivity levels; however, increased productivity levels were also cited by employers who planned to let their workers enjoy a more hybrid arrangement.

Other reasons given for a full-time office mandate included improved communication, strengthened company culture, enhanced in-person collaboration, improved supervision and management, maximised office investment, and improved employee experience.

“The most successful companies will be the ones with a clear understanding of what drives their specific business’s productivity, rather than following trends,” Brushfield said.

“However, depending on the company’s operations, role specifics, and industry, employers should view hybrid work not as a barrier, but as an opportunity to build a robust culture that thrives regardless of employees’ physical location.”