By Maia Ingoe of RNZ
Auckland Council is not going to change its flexible working arrangements, after calls to bring the city's workers back to the office.
Public Service Minister Nicola Willis has directed ministry bosses to tighten up on working from home, and Auckland business group Heart of the City wants the council to lead the way in revitalising the CBD.
While about 1 million people come through Auckland central every week, Heart of the City numbers show that was still down about 30,000 people a day from pre-Covid levels.
Chief executive Viv Beck said it was time to act.
"Every single day to be down a large number of people like that is significant. Whilst we appreciate there is a role for flexibility and there are times when working from home is appropriate, it is very timely to be reviewing the criteria."
She believed businesses needed a boost.
"It's particularly significant for small businesses that are located near office blocks, for example, that don't have the people they used to have."
Beck said private organisations need to bring workers back too, but Auckland Council - as a public organisation - should lead the return to the office.
"A lot of the impacts the businesses that we talk to daily are facing is as a result of not only working from home, but also the impact of large scale, long term public works.
"It's a way Auckland Council could really show support for the recovery of the city centre."
Auckland Council chief executive Phil Wilson said the general rule was to be in the office for a minimum of three days a week - but a council was not a typical office.
"We're a pretty big regional entity, and we've got a lot of jobs that are not office-based, and a lot of jobs that are only requiring to be based in the office for some of the time.
"Lots of people out in the field, building inspectors, lots of people who don't have the luxury of working outside the office, in our libraries, our pools and our parks."
Despite that, office occupancy rates across council's four buildings - only one of which is in the CBD - are more than 80%.
The council has also saved $34 million by reducing "unnecessary office space" and applying "smarter working principles".
Wilson said the council should be supporting economic activity by getting people back to the office, but it was a balance.
"As a significant employer and as a council, we've got to think about the vibrancy and the economic activity of our city centres."
"At the same time, there are gains from our people having some flexibility here. That's been a focus and that's good for recruitment and retention and being a good employer."
He said the council reviewed its working arrangements earlier this year, and he was satisfied they are working well.
In a statement, Mayor Wayne Brown said he has sympathy for the government's working-from-home directive.
"I've spoken with the CEO and asked him to keep looking at this to ensure the system at council is operating in the best interests of ratepayers."
What do Aucklanders think?
Most of the workers RNZ talked to on their way home at Britomart yesterday had flexible working arrangements - but the preference for home or office was mixed.
Some thought more people in the office would help revitalise the CBD.
"I think it would impact some peoples work life balance, especially parents, that's like the most important bit for them," said one worker. "But I think it would be better if more people around. Spending more money, seeing each other, going out more."
Another said it depended on the situation, but it was "good to see people back in office".
But others were sceptical about whether returning to the office means workers would spend more money.
"I don't think so," said a worker. "As long as there's a balance between coming in and staying at home."
