Australia's most populous state, the New South Wales (NSW) has mandated that all public employees return to working from their offices starting Tuesday, August 6. According to AP News, the order follows a heated debate spurred by news outlets criticizing work-from-home policies.

NSW Premier Chris Minns announced that from now on, public workers in New South Wales must work in the office rather than from home. He believes being physically present is important for improving public services, though he mentioned that part-time work and job sharing could still offer some flexibility. 

This change is welcomed by businesses and real estate groups in Sydney, who have seen fewer people working in offices since 2020. 

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Critics of Return to Physical Offices

The ruling makes the NSW government, which has over 400,000 employees, one of the latest organizations to reverse its remote work policies. Analysts believe that lobbying by the Rupert Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph, which has been pushing for a return to office work, influenced the government's decision. 

The newspaper argued that having more people working in offices would help struggling businesses and stimulate economic activity in central Sydney.

However, unions are unhappy and plan to challenge the decision, worried that it will be hard to fill jobs and fit everyone into the smaller office spaces.

Critics argue that the decision could worsen staffing problems in the public sector. Stewart Little, General Secretary of the Public Service Association, pointed out that essential agencies, like those handling child protection, are already struggling with high vacancy rates. He also noted that office space has decreased since 2020, making it hard to fit all employees on-site.

In response, Premier Chris Minns said the government plans to lease more office space to address these issues.

The decision sets New South Wales apart from other Australian states, some of which still support remote work and reverses a decade of federal support for remote work, intended to increase workforce participation and reduce carbon emissions. 

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