[Australia] Increase in inner-city commuters as banks lead office return

In Australia, public transport usage figures reveal a recent uptick in office returns. Workers are returning to offices in inner Sydney after a push by large companies, including big banks, for employees to cut back on remote working and come back to their physical workplace, The Guardian reports.

Analysis of train station data shows that foot traffic at Wynyard - a key inner-city station in Sydney - is at its highest level since February 2020, just before pandemic lockdowns put an end to office work.

In addition, commuter numbers at a wider network of city stations, including Circular Quay, Martin Place, Museum, St James, Town Hall and Wynyard, have reportedly returned to more than 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to research firm Morningstar.

Professor David Hensher - a University of Sydney management expert - told The Guardian that the surprising uptick was, in part, connected to the “command and control” styles of a small number of companies that have demanded full-time or near full-time office attendance.

However, he highlighted the potential negative effects of this management approach for both workers and companies.

“Commuting is one of the most stressful activities that we do and to reduce it to two or three days a week makes a huge difference to people’s wellbeing,” Professor Hensher said.

“We also know that half of the time saved on commuting is converted into work time that benefits the employer and they need to know that.”

Some Australian companies, including National Australia Bank (Nab), reportedly require senior managers to work from the office while offering hybrid arrangements for other staff.

Ross McEwan - Nab’s chief executive - said the bank was a relationship business and that such relationships were best delivered in person.

“We need to train and develop our teams to be the best they can in supporting our customers and colleagues,” Mr McEwan said in a statement.

“This is hard to do when you don’t have a leader beside you, which is why I’ve asked our most senior leaders back into the office five days a week.”

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson said, “Based on our insights and recent experiences, from mid-July our office-based people will come into the office for at least 50% of their working time over the month.”

A large number of Australia’s main financial institutions require around 50 per cent attendance at the office for the majority of employees, however, it is not uncoomon for senior managers to have to attend more frequently. Recently many of the new arrangements have been communicated to staff, as demonstrated by the increase in public transport travel to nearby stations.

The uptick will be welcomed by the inner-city cafes and bars that experienced a steep decline in sales compared with pre-pandemic conditions. Yet the rising number of office mandates goes against the work arrangements many Australians have settled into.

Research conducted in March reportedly revealed that the average working Australian was spending 27 per cent of their working hours at home. The number was almost identical to a survey conducted six months earlier and experts believed it represented a peak return to office.

Professor Hensher said there was a risk that flexible work arrangements - one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic - would be lost if back to office demands continued growing.

“I‘m really worried that we could end up back into this pre-Covid office environment, which was more stressful, less satisfying and really made no difference to productivity gains,” he said.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)

In Australia, public transport usage figures reveal a recent uptick in office returns. Workers are returning to offices in inner Sydney after a push by large companies, including big banks, for employees to cut back on remote working and come back to their physical workplace, The Guardian reports.

Analysis of train station data shows that foot traffic at Wynyard - a key inner-city station in Sydney - is at its highest level since February 2020, just before pandemic lockdowns put an end to office work.

In addition, commuter numbers at a wider network of city stations, including Circular Quay, Martin Place, Museum, St James, Town Hall and Wynyard, have reportedly returned to more than 70 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, according to research firm Morningstar.

Professor David Hensher - a University of Sydney management expert - told The Guardian that the surprising uptick was, in part, connected to the “command and control” styles of a small number of companies that have demanded full-time or near full-time office attendance.

However, he highlighted the potential negative effects of this management approach for both workers and companies.

“Commuting is one of the most stressful activities that we do and to reduce it to two or three days a week makes a huge difference to people’s wellbeing,” Professor Hensher said.

“We also know that half of the time saved on commuting is converted into work time that benefits the employer and they need to know that.”

Some Australian companies, including National Australia Bank (Nab), reportedly require senior managers to work from the office while offering hybrid arrangements for other staff.

Ross McEwan - Nab’s chief executive - said the bank was a relationship business and that such relationships were best delivered in person.

“We need to train and develop our teams to be the best they can in supporting our customers and colleagues,” Mr McEwan said in a statement.

“This is hard to do when you don’t have a leader beside you, which is why I’ve asked our most senior leaders back into the office five days a week.”

A Commonwealth Bank spokesperson said, “Based on our insights and recent experiences, from mid-July our office-based people will come into the office for at least 50% of their working time over the month.”

A large number of Australia’s main financial institutions require around 50 per cent attendance at the office for the majority of employees, however, it is not uncoomon for senior managers to have to attend more frequently. Recently many of the new arrangements have been communicated to staff, as demonstrated by the increase in public transport travel to nearby stations.

The uptick will be welcomed by the inner-city cafes and bars that experienced a steep decline in sales compared with pre-pandemic conditions. Yet the rising number of office mandates goes against the work arrangements many Australians have settled into.

Research conducted in March reportedly revealed that the average working Australian was spending 27 per cent of their working hours at home. The number was almost identical to a survey conducted six months earlier and experts believed it represented a peak return to office.

Professor Hensher said there was a risk that flexible work arrangements - one of the few positives to come out of the pandemic - would be lost if back to office demands continued growing.

“I‘m really worried that we could end up back into this pre-Covid office environment, which was more stressful, less satisfying and really made no difference to productivity gains,” he said.

Source: The Guardian

(Links and quotes via original reporting)