Staff working from home are being overlooked for promotions, a summit for reviving Sydney’s CBD has warned – with women most effected.
Business Council of Australia chief Jennifer Westacott told Friday’s summit with Premiere Dominic Perrottet that current restrictions on workplaces will see long-term effects on Sydney’s work culture.
Ms Westacott urged businesses to encourage their staff to come back into the Office when restrictions ease so they don’t get ‘left behind’.
Staff working from home are being overlooked for promotions, a summit for reviving Sydney’s CBD has warned – with women most effected
‘We’ve got to make sure we don’t leave people behind. Many people will not get the sort of promotions and career opportunities and a lot of that will be gender-driven,’ she said.
‘We’ve got to make sure the opportunity of coming into the office is reinforced to the people who work with us, and then we’ve got to hold our ground, because (Covid) is going to come and go.’
Ms Westacott believes the key to reviving Sydney’s CBD begins with getting the workforce back in the office and said one-off incentives won’t do the trick.
‘We’ve got to change people’s habits, and one night noodle markets (or) one lunch is not going to be enough,’ she said.
Business Council of Australia chief Jennifer Westacott told Friday’s Sydney CBD Summit that businesses will need to encourage workers to return to the office to avoid being ‘left behind’
Ms Westacott believes Sydney’s large office workforce are the key to reviving the CBD while Treasurer Matt Kean believes the city should focus on residential housing
‘We’ve got to remove the work-from-home encouragement guidance. That is confusing a lot of companies, particularly the multinational companies.
‘The masks – we’ve got to sort them out, because people aren’t going to come into the office with the masks.’
The business leader suggested improved ventilation in office buildings and company lunches as a way to entice office workers back to their desks.
However Treasurer Matt Kean believes working from home will become ‘more and more normal’ and said ‘instead of fighting the tide we need to ride the wave’.
Premiere Dominic Perrottet has not yet created a timeline for NSW workers to return to work despite pushes from the business sector
Ms Westacott suggested improved ventilation in office buildings and company lunches as a way to entice office workers back to their desks
He said investing in more residential housing in the CBD and not just focusing on office workers, may also help boost trade.
Other ideas discussed in the meeting included the creation of a free transport zone in the CBD – similar to Melbourne’s – and giving travel concession cards to international students.
Restrictions enforcing masks indoors and density limits were set to ease from January 28 but have since been pushed back to February 28.
Mr Perrottet has not yet created a timeline for NSW workers to return to work despite pushes from the business sector.
