New data shows flexible work was never the issue the Government claimed
Today's data from the Public Service Commission exposes the Government's working from home directive as a manufactured crisis designed to distract from the real impact of public sector cuts on Wellington and communities across New Zealand.
"The Government made a huge song and dance about public servants supposedly not turning up to work, but the data shows this was never a real problem," said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
The PSA's position is that workers should be entitled to flexible work arrangements - which suit their individual circumstances unless there is a good business reason not to. Working from home and flexible work are generally a win-win for employers and employees.
"The figures show the Government's headline grabbing crackdown on flexible work was just a stunt to appeal to Wellington businesses - working from home was never the crisis the Government claimed it was. The majority of public servants don't even work from home regularly.
"This directive was all about finding a scapegoat for the economic damage the Government's own cuts have caused to Wellington's CBD and local businesses.
"Rather than acknowledge that sacking thousands of public servants would hurt the capital's economy, they chose to blame workers for an imaginary problem.
"The backward step of reducing flexible work arrangements, even slightly, flies in the face of international evidence about productivity and employee wellbeing.
"Flexible work helps retain talented staff, improves work-life balance, and often increases productivity - exactly what the 2025 Public Service Census found, with 49% of managers saying staff working from home either increased productivity or had no impact. It's certainly not a negative as the Government tried to make out.
"The Government claims to be concerned about raising productivity, but clearly in the public sector this doesn't suit a government which is determined to keep disrespecting public service workers and eroding their rights.
"That's why the PSA is challenging this directive at the Employment Relations Authority - because good employers recognise that flexible work arrangements benefit both workers and the organisations they serve.
"New Zealanders deserve a public service that can attract and retain the best people to deliver the services they rely on. Attacking flexible work practices that help achieve this goal is just another example of this Government's misplaced priorities."
