Latest news with #EmelineGaske
ABC News
18 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
The ASU is pushing for presumed work from home. Here's what that means
Working from home may become the presumed status of Australia's white-collar workforce as part of a new push from the Australian Services Union (ASU). The ASU announced plans to submit the new clause to the Fair Work Commission (FWC) this week and has published the results of a new survey to support its plans. Here's what you need to know: The ASU is proposing a new clause that will give clerical and administrative staff the presumed right to work from home if it is reasonably requested. If an employer and employee cannot come to an agreement, the employer would be required to give that employee 26 weeks' notice before enforcing a return to the office. ASU Assistant National Secretary Emeline Gaske said a fair notice period was a critical protection that recognised the reality of people's lives. "For many people, particularly women, working from home is deeply integrated into how they manage their family and caring responsibilities," she said. "Suddenly removing that arrangement isn't a simple change — it pulls a thread that can unravel a family's entire routine. "It means finding new after-school care where there are often long waiting lists, rearranging transport, or finding alternative support for an elderly parent." The FWC is working to develop a working from home term for the Clerks Award that supports employers and employees making workable arrangements. The ASU's clause forms part of a submission to the Clerks Award review. The Clerks Award covers private sector staff whose primary duties are administrative or clerical. According to ABS data, about 1.8 million Australians are clerical and administrative employees, of which about three-quarters are women. About 91,000 are covered by the clerks' award. The ASU represents a broad range of industries, including: local government, social and community services, transport, travel and airlines. They also represent clerical and admin staff in various industries in the private sector. A survey of 600 workers conducted by the ASU found: One union member, IT software specialist Shaun Ruigrok, said working from home helped him to be more productive. He said that as a neurodiverse person, he was able to set up a working space that was not as overstimulating and exhausting as a work office environment. Ms Gaske said the people who have overwhelmingly taken up working from home are women, particularly those with care responsibilities. "If we were to cut those conditions, it would have a really negative impact on working women who are trying to manage their care and work responsibilities," she said. Ms Gaske said some big businesses were asking employees to give up penalties and overtime rates in exchange for working from home. "Over many, many years we've seen the big business lobby try and attack penalty rates and overtime pay at any opportunity they get," Ms Gaske said. "I think this is just another attempt to whittle away some of these conditions." Australian Industry Group Chief Executive Innes Willox has described the proposal from the union as the "loopiest yet". "The proposal is not only entirely unnecessary and unreasonable, it would inevitably operate to discourage employers from continuing to adopt an accommodating approach to employee requests to work from home," he said. He referred to an independent survey of employers and employees undertaken at the Fair Work Commission's request, which found 94 per cent of employees who asked for working from home arrangements had their request approved or partly approved. "The Fair Work Act already gives employees the right to request flexible working arrangements, including working from home, in a range of circumstances," Mr Willox said. "Employers can only reject these requests on reasonable business grounds." He said the ASU's proposal could force employers to refuse flexibility out of fear they would not be able to require a return to the office in a reasonable timeframe if the circumstances change or the arrangement is proving to be unworkable. "We want employers to be free to work with employees to structure their working hours in a way that suits them," he said. The ASU said it would make its new submission on Tuesday. The Clerks Working From Home review will remain open for submissions until September 2 before entering the next stage. A hearing for further directions from the FWC will be held on September 5.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Work-from-home push to prevent ‘rug from being pulled out' from under 1.8 million Aussies
A union is pushing for workers to be given a six-month notice period before being forced back to the office. The Fair Work Commission (FWC) is currently investigating whether changes need to be made to the Clerks Award, a test case that could spark similar adjustments to other work contracts across the country. The Australian Services Union (ASU) believes staff deserve to have the right to work from home (WFH), but if circumstances change, they need to have enough time to get their affairs in order. ASU national secretary Emeline Gaske said this clause would be essential to workers who might have certain commitments. 'A fair notice period is a critical protection that recognises the reality of people's lives. For many people, particularly women, working from home is deeply integrated into how they manage their family and caring responsibilities. RELATED Work from home shift for millions of Aussies as 'clear link' with salaries revealed Centrelink reveals 'common misconception' about $1,732 pension payment Aussie mum turns dirty laundry from side hustle to $8 million business 'Suddenly removing that arrangement isn't a simple change – it pulls a thread that can unravel a family's entire routine. "It means finding new after-school care where there are often long waiting lists, rearranging transport, or finding alternative support for an elderly parent.' Big-name companies like Amazon, Woolworths, and Coles have told staff they have to return to the office after several years of WFH only have to come in a few days, while others now have to come back from Monday to Friday, as it was before the pandemic. Some offices have adopted a staggered approach to give workers time to adjust, while others have only been given a few weeks to go from full WFH to being in the office full-time. Gaske wants to prevent that latter circumstance from happening to people on the Clerks Award, as the union believes employers shouldn't be able to 'pull the rug out from under their employees'. What is the union's submission for WFH rights? The ASU has submitted its proposal to the FWC over how WFH rights should operate for the roughly 1.8 million workers on the Clerks Award. At the moment, these workers have the right to make a WFH request and explain why they should be allowed to do it. But this is only available to workers who have been with their employer for at least 12 months and are pregnant, a parent, someone with a disability, over the age of 55, a carer, or someone experiencing domestic violence. The ASU wants there to be a built-in presumption that when a staff member applies to work remotely, it will be approved. The employer and employee would have to try to reach an agreement to accommodate the staff member's request, and if that can't be done, then the worker would need at least 26 weeks' notice before returning to the office. This would also apply to employers seeking to vary or pause a worker's current WFH setup. Why is this happening? An ASU survey recently found a whopping 98 per cent of respondents felt WFH rights were important or extremely important to them. A separate poll of nearly 8,500 Yahoo Finance readers discovered 59 per cent would leave their job if they couldn't work from home. New research from Roy Morgan also found 46 per cent of employed Australians work from home at least some of the time, with that figure rising to 51 per cent for full-time workers. The union said this should serve as a wake-up call for bosses that things have changed massively since 2019. 'Working from home is now a permanent feature of the modern Australian workplace, and our submission will make it clear that the location of work does not diminish its value,' Gaske said. The ASU's submission comes after other groups have proposed to the FWC that WFH rights could continue to operate, but workers might have to give up certain work perks like penalty rates, minimum hour requirements, overtime pay, and rest breaks. Major fight for WFH rights across the country The Clerks Award covers roles such as administrative assistants, receptionists, and bookkeepers. HR expert Lara Nercessian told Yahoo Finance a lot is riding on the FWC investigation, as it could start a domino effect with other work contracts. "A lot of businesses and organisations are going to be quite apprehensive in terms of the way that this unfolds," she said. "After their significant efforts and attempts to get people back into the office full-time, I think a lot of organisations may see it as undoing the work that they've done." But this also comes at a time when moves are being made to protect WFH rights for all workers in two Aussie states. The Victorian government wants to enshrine a legal right for employees to WFH at least two days a week. It's the first attempt at a state-wide mandate for public and private sector workers who could reasonably do their work from home. The South Australian Greens are also preparing a bill that could grant public sector workers the right to work from home at least one day a week. But state Premier, Peter Malinauskas, has already indicated the proposal won't go very far. 'To mandate things, I think, runs the risk of having unintended consequences,' he said. 'And occasionally I think employers should have the ability to say, 'Look, we're paying you to do a particular task and this is where I need you to perform those tasks.'"
West Australian
a day ago
- Business
- West Australian
Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce warns AI could replace work-from-home jobs, urges caution for remote workers
Australia's workplace ombudsman will be asked to support the right to work from home, to stop it from being used by employers to bargain away other rights, amid warnings AI could replace jobs that can be done remotely. The Australian Services Union says it will lodge a submission with the Fair Work Commission to support working from home, where it's possible to do so. 'Working from home is now a permanent feature of the modern Australian workplace, and our submission will make it clear that the location of work does not diminish its value,' union secretary Emeline Gaske said on Monday. Workers have embraced the benefits but are concerned about employers using it as an excuse to cut pay and conditions. 'Our submission will demonstrate the productivity benefits of a remote workforce and will argue that we have to provide the protections that those workers are entitled to,' Ms Gaske said. 'Taking away the right to work from home would be a race to the bottom that will hurt hundreds of thousands of workers, the majority of whom are women across our country, and we will fight it every step of the way,' she said. The union's submission is backed by a survey of 600 workers, more than two-thirds of them women - 98 per cent of whom consider being able to work from home as 'extremely' or 'very important'. But federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said workers needed to be careful because jobs that can be done from home could be automated by artificial intelligence tools. 'If your job is a keyboard, yourself and a computer, it's not a myth, AI is coming,' he told Seven's Sunrise program. 'I'd be doing everything in your power to try and keep your jobs because if people can prove they don't need to come to the office then the office can prove that they can be replaced by AI.' Mr Joyce pointed to trades work, such and electricians and plumbers. 'AI won't be able to turn itself into a plumber or itself into an electrician or a chippy, so trades are a place where you can sustain a good level of employment,' he added. 'It ... replaces people but it doesn't have hands and it doesn't have feet - think about it.' Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said repetitive jobs were most under threat from AI. 'What we need to do is make sure that there are good jobs available for Australians in new and emerging industries as well,' she said. 'We've got real capacity to develop some of those AI tools right here. The rise of working from home emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained part of the workforce. The use and application of AI is likely to be a hot topic at the federal government's productivity roundtable beginning in Canberra on Tuesday.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Joyce warns remote work jobs at risk from AI automation
Australia's workplace ombudsman will be asked to support the right to work from home, to stop it from being used by employers to bargain away other rights, amid warnings AI could replace jobs that can be done remotely. The Australian Services Union says it will lodge a submission with the Fair Work Commission to support working from home, where it's possible to do so. 'Working from home is now a permanent feature of the modern Australian workplace, and our submission will make it clear that the location of work does not diminish its value,' union secretary Emeline Gaske said on Monday. Workers have embraced the benefits but are concerned about employers using it as an excuse to cut pay and conditions. 'Our submission will demonstrate the productivity benefits of a remote workforce and will argue that we have to provide the protections that those workers are entitled to,' Ms Gaske said. 'Taking away the right to work from home would be a race to the bottom that will hurt hundreds of thousands of workers, the majority of whom are women across our country, and we will fight it every step of the way,' she said. The union's submission is backed by a survey of 600 workers, more than two-thirds of them women - 98 per cent of whom consider being able to work from home as 'extremely' or 'very important'. But federal Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce said workers needed to be careful because jobs that can be done from home could be automated by artificial intelligence tools. 'If your job is a keyboard, yourself and a computer, it's not a myth, AI is coming,' he told Seven's Sunrise program. 'I'd be doing everything in your power to try and keep your jobs because if people can prove they don't need to come to the office then the office can prove that they can be replaced by AI.' Mr Joyce pointed to trades work, such and electricians and plumbers. 'AI won't be able to turn itself into a plumber or itself into an electrician or a chippy, so trades are a place where you can sustain a good level of employment,' he added. 'It ... replaces people but it doesn't have hands and it doesn't have feet - think about it.' Social Services Minister Tanya Plibersek said repetitive jobs were most under threat from AI. 'What we need to do is make sure that there are good jobs available for Australians in new and emerging industries as well,' she said. 'We've got real capacity to develop some of those AI tools right here. The rise of working from home emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic and has remained part of the workforce. The use and application of AI is likely to be a hot topic at the federal government's productivity roundtable beginning in Canberra on Tuesday.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Aussies reach out for support to deal with new workplace issue
Workers are calling for support to adapt to the adoption of artificial intelligence, with most saying they have not been offered training despite its increasing use. The Australian Services Union says surveyed white-collar workers are willing to adapt to using the technology but have been left with little guidance on how to navigate the change. More than 80 per cent of workers reported not having been offered any AI training or consultation on its use at work, despite almost 50 per cent of workplaces introducing these tools. Less than 35 per cent of workplaces have a formal policy guiding the technology's use, according to the research findings. The union's national secretary Emeline Gaske says artificial intelligence offers huge productivity opportunities to drive new jobs but the benefits need to extend beyond company profits. 'Unions can't resist AI anymore than we could've resisted the internet,' Ms Gaske said. 'But it must come with an industry adjustment package that starts with workforce training.' The call for more support and consultation comes ahead of a productivity roundtable in Canberra from Tuesday, with AI likely to be extensively discussed. The three-day summit, led by Treasurer Jim Chalmers and other ministers, will focus on boosting productivity in the economy, building resilience and strengthening the budget. It could lead to investigating the use of AI to streamline environmental measures and boost housing approvals, according to reported Treasury advice leaked to ABC News. More than 30,000 vocational education teachers could be trained to use AI under a recently announced year-long trial involving US tech giant Microsoft and Australia's Future Skills Organisation. The organisation has similarly noted the rate of white-collar workers using AI is more than double the rate of those who have been trained to do so. Ms Gaske says workers need to share in the benefits of AI, such as through shorter working weeks to give workers time back from productivity improvements, and has called for further consultation. 'We have a willing and capable workforce but they need to be brought into the conversation,' she said. 'By investing in training, guaranteeing workers a say, and ensuring the gains are shared, we can boost productivity and improve the quality of jobs right across the economy.' One surveyed worker reported widespread fear of the technology. 'But if the right guidelines are in place I think it could be very useful,' they said.
