Workers in Australia concerned over heading back to the office

Workers in Australia are concerned about heading back to the office full-time, citing health and quality-of-life, showed a survey from the Finance Sector Union.

Among those surveyed, some 60% were worried about the impact of mental health on their return to the workplace. A respondent, for example, highlighted that his depression and anxiety had been “significantly reduced” while working from home, according to Nine news.

“My children and I aren’t getting as sick as often and we are all getting more sleep leading to better moods throughout the day,” the worker said.

Some 69% of workers highlighted that they were worried about the increased risks caused by COVID-19. 

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“The pandemic is not over, and I can’t believe we’re being told to go back to the office when there are still tens of thousands of new cases or more per day,” another respondent noted.

One of the factors of concern cited was financial cost. Consumer prices have risen 3.5% in 2021, compared to a raise of 2.3% in wages, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics.