Australia expects teleworking to continue post-pandemic

Working from home will stay long after the COVID-19 pandemic, with some workers willing to take a pay cut to remain working from home, according to a report by the Australian government’s advisory body. 

A review by the Productivity Commission revealed that the proportion of Australians working from home had increased from 8% to 40% over the past two years, and has remained at that level even when previous lockdowns have ended. 

“I think it’s likely that working from home will continue at higher levels than we saw before the pandemic, maybe not so much at the levels we’ve seen at the height of lockdown, but somewhere in between,” said Commission chair Michael Brennan, according to ABC News.

The report also found that while most workers enjoy their home office, they do not want to spend their entire time there as this translates to reduced opportunities for collaboration and potential long-term career consequences. 

READ: All healthcare staff in Victoria state mandated to get COVID-19 vaccination

Workers and firms are likely to negotiate mutually beneficial work from home arrangements, with many employers likely to allow workers to split their time between the office and home, said the Productivity Commission.