NSW public sector workers forced to ‘sit on the floor’ due to lack of desks, amid RTO push

As the NSW “workplace presence policy” closes in on its implementation, public sector workers have begun flagging some of the issues that Chris Minns’ sweeping directive could pose.

Back in August 2024, NSW Premier Chris Minns announced a directive to all public servants in the state that they will be returning to the office. The directive sent from the Premier’s Department at the time claimed that the change was “about building up a culture in the public service”.

With the directive set to come into motion between May and September, workers in the public sector are beginning to flag a number of concerns with the policy and how it will be applied.

The Public Service Association (PSA), which currently represents a number of Transport NSW (TfNSW) workers – who will be affected by the changes – have conducted a survey putting pen to paper regarding these concerns after TfNSW agreed to a consultation with the union.

Speaking on the feedback from members, a PSA spokesperson confirmed that many offices in their current state don’t have the facilities nor equipment to accommodate workers who are returning.

According to the spokesperson, members have relayed that they’ve been forced to sit “on the floor” when they come into the office as there is “no desk for them”. Others were forced to leave the office and work from a nearby coffee shop.

An example that was presented by members of the union claimed that on some days, “90 or so [could] turn up to an office for an in-person day, and there [are] only 20 desks”.

These issues are reportedly already occurring even though the policy is yet to come into effect, raising questions about what could occur when the 15,000-strong workforce is pushed back into these offices.

Along with this concern, the PSA noted another theme in the feedback, which questioned the TfNSW’s approach to how this policy will affect women workers, calling on the department to: “Explain how it will continue to support the workforce participation of women and gender equality if decisions around flexibility are left solely to individual managers.”

It’s no secret that flexibility has opened doors for women’s workers, resulting in many being extremely reluctant to part ways with these arrangements.

“The message from the workforce is clear – flexibility is no longer a perk; it’s a priority,” said Gemma Lloyd, co-founder and chief executive of WORK180.

“Eighty-six per cent of women rank it as a top factor in choosing an employer, and 74 per cent of participants in our recent study of 1,000 men said they value it too.”

Another major concern for workers was how the monthly “quota” of working days in the office would be counted – especially how the system is going to “monitor” workers and the potential repercussions that may arise if they fail to make it into the office on certain days.

TfNSW granted the union an extension on the consultation with their members through to Wednesday, 26 March, next week, to which a review of the feedback will take place over the April period before the implementation of the policy.