Fleur Fitzsimons: PSA Acting National Secretary on public service workers working from home on Fridays

Almost half of New Zealand's public servants are working from home one day a week, according to data released by The Public Service Commission. 

The IRD and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities have more than 80% of their staff working from home at least once a week. 

Public Service Association Acting National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said it might not be a bad thing. 

"We want a system whereby public servants are able to work from home, where it offers a win-win for them and for the employer."

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Almost half of our public servants work one day a
week from home and a quarter on a Friday. The
Public Service Commission has released data. It says some departments
like the IRD and the Ministry for Ethnic Communities have
more than eighty percent of their staff working from home
at least once a week. The persay says this is
sort of a win for them because the numbers aren't

(00:21):
that bad. The acting National Secretaries Furfet Simon's good afternoon,
flur good afternoon. Isn't this quite bad? Half of them
having one day at home a week?

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No, Actually, we want a system where by public servants
are able to work from home, where it offers a
win win for them and for the employer. And that's
what the research shows it does. And it's not just
a policy that operates in the public service. There are
people all over New Zealand who are working from home
and for home it's good for them and their employers
are supportive and encouraging. We know that it improves concentration,

(00:58):
it allows people to get more work done, and people
also say that they are able to stay more motivated
when they're working from home. So we welcome this and
we want an environment where all workers are encouraged and
enabled to work from home where this is possible.

Speaker 1 (01:11):
Yeah, but I would say that too if I was
asked if I liked working from home, and I was asked,
are you more productive at home? I would say yes,
even if I wasn't. So can we really rely on
those surveys?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Well, it's not just that there's actually international research which
shows people are more productive, but also it benefits the workers,
So people who have caring responsibilities, women, people with chronic illnesses, disability.
It enables them to participate in the workforce in different
ways and that's good for everybody. And look, you can
see many companies are offering this as a competitive term

(01:45):
to make sure that they can attract the best people too.

Speaker 1 (01:48):
And what is with the Friday? Why are a court
at choosing Friday in particular? Do you think is that
a particularly productive day to work from home?

Speaker 2 (01:56):
I think it sort of just makes sense. It's near
the end of the week, it's near the weekie.

Speaker 1 (02:02):
That shouldn't matter. Should because it's about productivity, right, So
it shouldn't matter what day of the week it's taken.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
Well, that's just as what people have worked out And
actually that's probably easier for employers if it's all generally
the same day that they can predict it, and some
organizations that why don't we encourage it home on a Friday,
Why don't.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
We predict Tuesday and make that the day because it's just.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
Before the weekend. So it does work well for people.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
But you know what I'm saying, don't you, Flare. I mean,
you know everybody at listening to this in their cars
right now who's driving probably driving home from work, I
might add, they'll be thinking the same thing. It's convenient
that it's Friday.

Speaker 2 (02:40):
Well, you can choose to take a cynical approach, but
actually what we know is that if you work from home,
it does reduce the commute, it does mean that you
can have a better life. And we say that public servants,
like other workers, should be able to have a work
place in an approach to work that enables them to
have a good life, and we want that for all workers.

Speaker 1 (03:00):
Al Right, Flur, thank you very much for coming on
the show. I always appreciate it. Fur Fit Simons with US,
Acting National Secretary for the Public Service Association in Wellington.
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