Hey, didn't we already have the debate about working from home?

When something has been ingrained for many generations, it's hard to move the dial. 

It's hard to unravel what's been accepted for so long as 'normal,' even if said something doesn't really mesh with modern society anymore. 

But then, through the horror of the COVID-19 pandemic, something amazing happened. We managed to fast-track a transition that we'd long been moving towards.

Working from home isn't a viable option for everyone. But for a large proportion of office workers, the pandemic gave them the opportunity to prove it could work.

According to self-reported data from HILDA (Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia), almost 58 per cent of respondents indicated that productivity was the same or better following an increase in hours worked from home. 

It was a surprising result to those of the opinion that workers can't be trusted when not physically in the same place as their boss. 

Of course, the results weren't all positive. As the Australia Institute of Health and Welfare stated, in some workplaces distance between colleagues created challenges in collaborating and exchanging of information. But on the other hand, many employees found their work-life balance improved without a daily commute which made them happier and better rested for a day of work. 

It was a game-changer for working parents. Suddenly picking up their children from daycare or school on time was something that was actually feasible. 

So as the world reopened and we slowly returned to a 'new' normal, many workplaces chose to adopt a hybrid of the two realities - employees could work from home part of the week, but they were required in the office on other days to encourage collaboration and teamwork. 

Great. A win-win for everyone, let's all move on yeah?

Well. Recently there's been a shift. A rise in the opinion that we should all be heading back into the office full-time. 

Earlier this month, the NSW Premier ordered government employees to return to the office. 

Public servants wanting to work from home regularly will now need to provide reasons and get formal approval, but, "the default arrangement is to work principally in an approved workplace, office or related site". 

The news sparked commentary, like that of Steve Price on The Project, who said "No one should be able to work from home in grimy tracky dacks and put their feet up on a desk and go out the back and feed the dog while they're supposed to be working—you get to work. Go to work.

"You pretend to do the same stuff at home but you’re actually down the shop," he added.

Steve Price has slammed flexible workplace arrangements, launching into a rant about how people "pretend" to get the job done and declaring that "no one" should be able to stay at home in their "grimy tracky dacks".https://t.co/lT9dXdZfKn

— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) August 6, 2024

Dig into the comment section of any article on the topic and you'll find similar rhetoric. 

Sorry, didn't we already dispel that myth? 

Sure there might be a few workers out there taking the p***, but they're the ones that are also going to find ways not to work in the office. 

Let's be clear, if we go back to the pre-COVID world where office workers are only allowed to be IRL, it's mainly going to affect women. All women. 

Working from home has helped to curtail many of the challenges facing women who choose to become mothers but still want to work. As the ones still shouldering the bulk of domestic, childcare, and other care duties in the home, the reality of trying to juggle a full-time in-office job around other commitments is simply unrealistic for many families.

Work flexibility has helped us steer towards more gender equality, "keeping women in paid employment, and enabling men to take on a greater domestic role in the household by freeing up commute time for household tasks," said workplace wellbeing expert Dr Amanda Wallis. 

In June last year, female unemployment fell to an all-time low of 3.3 per cent, following the shift in more people working from home. But according to a recent survey by Randstad, 60 per cent of women would consider quitting their job if the work-from-home situation changed.

The more women in the workforce (not taking extended hiatuses because work doesn't mesh with child-rearing), the more women rising the ranks into boardrooms. The more women in board-rooms, the more decisions affecting all women they can help inform. 

This argument against 'working from home' is outdated. We've been here. We've solved this, it's time to move on to the next frontier. The inquiry at the Fair Work Commission (FWC) investigating flexible working arrangements in Australia is trying to do just that.

In March, The Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) and the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) advocated at the inquiry for "make-up time" provisions to be put in place for employees who work from home.

It would mean an end to shifts of 9am-5pm, allowing employees, to complete work and meeting working hours around the schedule of responsibilities at home.

What a shockingly simple solution to a problem that has plagued working families for so many decades. What a brilliant counter-decision to help parents navigate school hours of 9am-3pm that do not mesh with most workplaces. 

It's innovation like this that will help increase female participation in the workforce. That will help keep the dial moving towards equality for all. 

When asked to weigh in on the renewed working from home debate, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it shouldn't be a 'one size fits all' approach.

I'd agree with that. I'd also agree that it's fine to continue to revisit what this new reality looks like for various workplaces and sectors. 

But can we at least let go of the rhetoric that most of us are 'pretending' to work from home? It's offensive, and it's only going to turn back years of progress. Next we'll hear that those who work part-time aren't dedicated to their jobs. 

Most of us actually work harder and are more efficiently in our tracky-dacks, because we are so darn appreciative to finally have the flexibility to set up our lives in a way that works for us.

Feature image: Getty.

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