‘Just wrong': State government seeks to draft public servants into WFH campaign

Sydney Morning Herald

2 days ago

Public servants are being asked to join the Allan government's political campaign for work-from-home rights, with departmental secretaries encouraging rank-and-file staff to use their personal and family networks to promote a government survey.
The move was slammed by experienced public servants, Victoria's public sector union, the stage opposition and an expert in public law, who likened the government to a party cartel.
The government's central public service agency, the Department of Premier and Cabinet, this week distributed to all departments a series of internal and external communications designed to drive more people to the government's online survey about working from home.
The material included a pro forma letter for departmental secretaries to send to staff to encourage them to 'support this important work by promoting the survey to colleagues, friends and family'.
The material invites public servants to promote the government's work-from-home rights campaign on social media platforms X, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, and through departmental newsletters and the Victorian Public Service intranet.
The provided talking points claim 'the proposed law will reflect the real-world experience of working from home, including what's fair, what's practical and what's already working in many workplaces'.
Premier Jacinta Allan has promised to legislate before next year's state election a right to work from home two days a week. The proposal faces a fierce backlash from business and employer groups and scepticism from workplace lawyers, who argue the state does not have jurisdiction over industrial relations.
The government believes the idea is popular among voters, particularly women, and this week used its entire allotment of ministerial statements in question time to promote its work-from-home agenda.