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Survey finds an “alarming” number of employers fail in duty of care.
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Too many staff discouraged from remote working: CPA Australia
29 July 2022
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Staff wanting to work remotely are meeting stiff resistance from employers, according to an informal survey by CPA Australia, which finds one-third are discouraged from doing it and more than 10 per cent are forbidden.
CPA Australia’s general manager media and content, Dr Jane Rennie, said the results of the survey were “alarming” and now was not the time to force people into an office.
“All businesses have a duty of care to keep their employees safe,” she said. “Workplace flexibility and working from home can help prevent infections from sweeping through workplaces.
“Bosses who fail to stop outbreaks in their workplaces run the risk of exacerbating staff shortages, affecting workplace productivity, harming morale and ultimately affecting client outcomes.”
The survey, on professional media site LinkedIn, asked, “What is your employer’s attitude to remote working right now?”
It drew more than the average number of responses – 1,200 – and found 50 per cent of staff were “allowed or encouraged” to work from home in line with government policy and CPA Australia’s own “totally flexible” approach.
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However, the other half were either “allowed but discouraged” (33 per cent) from the practice, “not allowed” to do it (12 per cent) or were unsure of their company’s position (5 per cent).
Dr Rennie said that now COVID regulations had relaxed but infection rates were high, it was more important than ever that businesses set an appropriate example.
“It’s actually quite alarming,” she said. “Despite governments urging businesses to let employees work remotely, a huge number of workplaces are actively discouraging employees from doing exactly that.
“Governments are appealing to peoples’ sense of personal responsibility rather than mandating rules. We are at a juncture in time where businesses need to take steps to play their part in minimising risks wherever possible.
“Employers need to ensure they are protecting their workforce from illness if they can, particularly with the new wave of COVID-19 across the country.
“This includes allowing staff to work from home where possible and discouraging employees from showing up to work sick.”
She said insufficient digital capability could be one reason for the hold-outs, and government needed to encourage small businesses to improve technology training, particularly in the areas of cyber security and data privacy.
But the figures showed that some businesses were behind on basic communication.
“Five per cent are unsure of their employer’s policy, which is surprising this far into the pandemic and a problem in itself. Employers need to clearly communicate their organisation’s policy on remote working to their people,” Dr Rennie said.
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