Huge work from home deal about to be struck: What it means for you
Millions of workers could soon be allowed to work from home hassle-free as a growing number of bosses accept hybrid working arrangements are here to stay.
Since August, the Fair Work Commission (FWC) has been reviewing the Clerks Award – which sets out the minimum legal entitlements for those in clerical and office jobs - to test its relevance for work in post Covid workplaces.
The FWC will hear from employers and unions as new models are developed for hybrid workers who spend half of their work week at home.
Innes Willox, the chief executive of the Australian Industry Group, said the award was being updated to fit 'modern day reality' as working habits changed.
'Essentially, since Covid, we've had a work from home free-for-all which is now starting to get more structure and shape around it,' he said.
'The industrial relations (IR) system is not set up for work from home or flexible work. The award system is set up around nine to five work, basically.'
It's predicted the review will result in a clause to 'remove any existing impediments' to WFH and that the award will be used as a model for others.
Unions want their members to earn the 'right to request' WFH days. Currently, employers can reject requests on reasonable business grounds.
Some employers have argued a 'free-for-all' attitude towards WFH since the pandemic has impacted on productivity.
Critics also say connections are lost in workplaces if employees are at home and that mentorship and leadership is difficult to enforce.
But, a landmark government report recently found working from home is actually more productive than going into the office - in moderation.
'Allowing workers to work from home some days can improve worker satisfaction and allows people to benefit by avoiding the commute to work, meaning they have additional time for other purposes,' the Productivity Commission said.
Working from home has proven particularly popular with women, who can save on childcare costs and complete other tasks in the hours they usually spend commuting.
A hybrid model, mixing work from home and the office, was seen as the best approach to encourage creative interactions.
'Workers do not need to be in the office full-time to experience the benefits of in-person interactions,' it said.
'As a result, hybrid work (working some days remotely and some days in the office) tends to be beneficial to productivity, or at least, is not detrimental to productivity.'
The Productivity Commission, however, said in-person interactions were more likely to spark initial breakthroughs.
'A key reason for this is that in-person interactions may be better for collaborative tasks and idea generation,' it said.
'Experimental evidence from engineering firms indicates that idea generation benefits from in-person interactions but in-person and virtual teams were equally effective in evaluating and selecting ideas that have already been developed.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
28 minutes ago
- BBC News
What is Aukus, the submarine deal between Australia, UK and US?
A multi-billion dollar submarine deal between long-standing allies - Australia, the UK and the US - has come under the spotlight after the Trump administration said it was reviewing how the deal fits in with its heavily-touted "America First" agenda. The Aukus security pact, Australia's biggest ever defence project, is set to play a key part in the country's ability to replace its ageing Collins-class submarine fleet - and, crucially, its military standing in the region. The 30-day review will be led by Elbridge Colby, who has previously been critical of Aukus. In a speech last year, he questioned why the US would give away "this crown jewel asset when we most need it". A US defence spokesperson said the review is about ensuring "this initiative of the previous administration is aligned with the President's America First agenda".Fears the review may torpedo the deal have been downplayed by the UK and Australia, with both saying the review is a normal process when a new government takes power. What is Aukus? Billed as a trilateral security partnership, the Aukus deal - worth £176bn ($239bn; A$368bn) over 30 years - involves two so-called pillars. Pillar 1 is about the supply and delivery of nuclear-powered attack submarines. Australia will buy three second-hand Virginia-class submarines from the US from 2032 with options to purchase two that, the plan is to design and build an entirely new nuclear-powered submarine model for the UK and Australian attack craft will be built in Britain and Australia to a British design, but use technology from all three 2 is about the allies collaborating on their "advanced capabilities". This involves sharing military expertise in areas such as long-range hypersonic missiles, undersea robotics and AI. What's the purpose of the deal? At its core, the deal is believed to be about countering China's growing presence in the Indo-Pacific region, and its role in rising tensions in disputed territories such as the South China none of the allies have directly pointed at China as a reason for the deal, the three countries have spoken about how regional security concerns have "grown significantly" in recent condemned the agreement as "extremely irresponsible" when it was first ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said it "seriously undermines regional peace and stability and intensifies the arms race". Who negotiated it? The deal was unveiled in September 2021 by three former leaders: Australia's Scott Morrison, the UK's Boris Johnson and the US's Joe Biden. The UK reviewed the security pact last year after Sir Keir Starmer's Labour government won the general election. What does Australia get out of it? For Australia, the deal represents a major upgrade to its military capabilities. The country is set to become just the second to receive Washington's elite nuclear propulsion technology, after the submarines will be able to operate further and faster than the country's existing diesel-engine fleet. They would also mean Australia would be able to carry out long-range strikes against enemies for the first the deal, sailors from the Royal Australian Navy are due to be sent to US and UK submarine bases to learn how to use the nuclear-powered submarines. What do the UK and US get out of it? From 2027, the pact will allow both the US and UK to base a small number of nuclear submarines in Perth, Western will also create about 7,000 jobs in Britain, with the design and construction of the new fleet of nuclear-powered submarines set to take place in the UK. The benefits for the US are less obvious - but sharing its defence technology could give the nation an opportunity to grow its presence in Asia-Pacific. Arming Australia has historically been viewed by Washington and Downing Street as essential to preserving peace in a region that is far from their own.
Daily Mail
36 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Trump ally to spearhead review that could torpedo Australia's defence plans
Long-time Donald Trump ally and China hawk Elbridge 'Bridge' Colby will spearhead a US government review of the AUKUS submarine deal, as speculation mounts that the arrangement will be scrapped. The appointment, confirmed by a US defence official on Thursday, heightened expectations that the Trump administration will end or at least alter the deal under which Australia was to acquire nuclear-powered submarines to replace its current ageing fleet. Defence Minister Richard Marles downplayed the significance of a review, describing it as 'natural' given the policy was introduced by the Biden administration. But Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor has expressed serious reservations in the face of threatened abandonment. 'If AUKUS falls over, it is Australia that pays the price,' he said. 'We would face a dangerous gap in capability at a time when we lack the capacity to go it alone.' Australia jettisoned a deal to acquire French-made submarines - despite having spent almost $2.5billion - to instead join the deal with the US and UK governments. A collapse of the AUKUS deal would leave Australia to start from scratch in finding its next generation of submarines, with such deals taking many years between commissioning and completion. US Under Secretary of Defence Policy, Mr Colby will be at the helm during the period of review, as first reported by British publication the Financial Times. He has publicly spoken of his doubts about the strategic and cost value of the AUJUS deal. 'AUKUS, in principle, it is a great idea, but I have been very skeptical in practice,' Mr Colby posted on X in August last year. 'I remain skeptical, agnostic, as I put it, but more inclined based on new information I have gleaned. 'It would be crazy to have fewer SSNs Virginia class in the right place and time.' Asked to address this during a Senate hearing in March this year, prior to being approved as under secretary, he doubled down. Mr Colby said repeated that it was a 'great idea' but that the hope for an 'Australian capacity' for US military could not be dragged out over a lengthy time period. However he also referred to Australia as 'perhaps our closest ally in the world', noting that the Australian government has supported the US 'even in our less advisable wars'. 'It is a great idea for (Australia) to have attack submarines,' he told the committee. 'I think it should be the policy of the United States Government to do everything we can to make (AUKUS) work. 'This is getting back to restoring our defense industrial capacity so that we don't have to face these awful choices but rather can be in a position where we can produce not only for ourselves, but for our allies.' As of Thursday, he has not commented on his role overseeing the review of AUKUS but took to X to back the messaging of US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. '(Mr Hegseth's) Shangri-La Dialogue speech highlighted the Department of Defense's commonsense approach in the Indo-Pacific to achieve President Trump's Peace Through Strength and America First agenda.' He also fulfilled the label of 'China hawk' which media companies have given him, highlighting his concerns for the country's expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific region - an issue AUKUS was set up to counter. 'China's actions undermine peace and stability in the region,' he said, referencing its military build up and operations in the South China Sea and near Taiwan. 'These are the reasons driving the United States assessment that China is the most serious and pressing military threat,' he said. But, as a caveat, Mr Colby then quoted Mr Hegseth's recent statement that the US does not seek war or to 'dominate or strangle China'. The messaging is similar to that of the American defence official who confirmed to Daily Mail Australia that there would be a review of the AUKUS pact - and why. 'This review will ensure the initiative meets these common sense, America First criteria,' they said. 'This means ensuring the highest readiness of our service members, that allies step up fully to do their part for collective defence, and that the defence industrial base is meeting our needs,' the official said. In the seven-part thread, Mr Colby identified the US as an Indo-Pacific nation, commenting that prosperity and security of Americans is 'vitally linked with those of our allies and partners in the region'. Whatever his view on AUKUS, Mr Colby is not enthusiastic about formalising defence ties with a 'NATO-like' alliance in the region. 'I am not theologically opposed to it, Senator, but I have been skeptical,' he told the March hearing. 'Something may be building up to have more multilateralization in the region, but not the huge ambition of an Asia NATO,' he added. 'Especially because you have got Japan over here, India over here, Australia down here. Their circumstances are quite distinct.' Mr Colby is a long-time loyalist to Donald Trump and the US President's view of the world which is strongly critical of American involvement in overseas conflicts that do not serve US interests. During Trump's first term, he served from 2017 to 2018 as a deputy assistant secretary of defense. The key aim of his role was the reorientation of the defence department to prioritise the threat posed by China towards the US. Between Trump's terms, Mr Colby co-founded think tank The Marathon Initiative in 2019, which focused on preparing the US for an 'era of sustained great power competition'. A statement from the organisation when he was appointed back into the defense department praised Mr Colby's work shifting foreign policy away from the Middle East and Europe, towards China. 'He has worked persistently, persuasively, and intelligently to keep China at the forefront of the U.S. national security debate,' it said in April. 'His consistent message has been that America must prioritize the top threat facing the country—and that doing so will require tradeoffs. 'Bridge has sought to equip the United States with a coherent framework for ensuring its safety and prosperity against the most formidable rival in our history.'
The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Victorian Liberal party could reap $1m in interest from loan that would see John Pesutto repay $10,000 a month
The Victorian Liberal party could reap $1m in interest from a loan deal that would see embattled former leader John Pesutto agree to repayments of around $10,000 a month. The party's administrative committee will meet next Thursday, to consider loaning Pesutto about $1.5m to cover the balance of the $2.3m in legal costs he owes fellow Liberal MP Moira Deeming after the federal court found he repeatedly defamed her. The 'request from the member for Hawthorn' – Pesutto – appears at the top of the meeting's agenda but details of the proposed loan have not been circulated to the full 19-member committee amid concerns about potential leaks to the media. Some members have claimed they have not been provided any information because they are opposed to the loan being granted. A source with knowledge of the plan, who requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the deal, said it was drafted by party president Phil Davis, with input from lawyers and accountants. It would be facilitated through Vapold, the party's investment arm and comes with strict conditions. They include Pesutto offering his superannuation savings as collateral, securing personal guarantors and committing to ongoing fundraising efforts, with all proceeds to go toward repaying the principal of the loan. He would also be required to commit to a long-term repayment plan, with the loan to initially carry a commercial interest rate of about 6%. The source said Pesutto intends to pay about $10,000 a month in repayments and that Vapold could make about $1m in interest over the life of the loan. Calculations show that, without taking into account future fluctuations in commercial interest rates, the total interest on a $1.5m loan with a fixed 6% rate would be about $1.08m, if it were paid over 20 years with monthly instalments of nearly $11,000. Another source who is close to Pesutto but requested anonymity to speak freely about the terms of the potential loan said it was 'not a get out of jail free card by any means'. 'It is going to be an albatross around his neck going forward personally for years to come,' they said. 'Some would argue he'd be better off declaring bankruptcy but he's committed to continuing to serve the party and avoiding a by election in Hawthorn.' Vapold's directors have met and backed the proposal, according to the source, although it remains unclear whether that endorsement was made formally. Corporate documents show Alan Stockdale - the 80-year-old battling to maintain control of the Liberal party's troubled NSW division after claiming women were now 'sufficiently assertive' and the party might need to consider quotas for men – is among Vapold's directors, as is Karyn Sobels, the treasurer of the administrative committee. Three sources said Vapold was expected to act on the request if the administrative committee gives the plan the green light. Vapold was contacted for comment. The details of the loan come as Pesutto's supporters seek to shore up the support of the majority of the committee. Several administrative committee members who requested anonymity given the nature of negotiations expressed concern the loan not may not be repaid in full, due to the time remaining in Pesutto's career. The former Liberal leader is 54. Some have indicated they would be unwilling to back the proposal unless substantial security was provided. Others argued the loan could breach party rules and go against the wishes of rank-and-file members, who believe Pesutto should bear the cost alone. They oppose a push for a secret ballot. Deeming herself expressed 'dismay' at reports the party was considering loaning its own funds to help him, in a letter sent to Pesutto on Sunday, which was also addressed to Davis and the Victorian opposition leader, Brad Battin. 'From the outset, both former president Greg Mirabella and incumbent Philip Davis publicly stated that no party funds would be used in this action and to now expect the party to cover Pesutto's substantial debts goes against the grain of everything we believe as Liberals,' Deeming wrote. In the letter, she offered to delay payment of $2.3m in legal costs until 2027 on the condition her preselection for the next election be secured, among other demands. That offer was rejected by the party. In a follow-up email to the committee on Wednesday night, Deeming wrote she was 'sad my latest attempts to settle this matter in the best interests of all parties, including the Liberal party, were not successful'. 'My conscience is clear; I did my very best to try and turn our collective focus away from internal matters,' she said in the email, seen by Guardian Australia. Battin was peppered with questions about Deeming's offer at a press conference in Shepparton on Thursday but declined to answer, citing 'legal advice'. 'It is a frustrating process,' he said. 'Hopefully we can resolve this … very soon.' Pesutto has until 27 June to pay the $2.3m in costs owed to Deeming, or face bankruptcy and disqualification from parliament.
