Australian state orders public servants to stop remote working after a newspaper campaign against it

ASSOCIATED PRESS

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Public employees in Australia’s most populous state have been told to end remote working in a directive from the premier of New South Wales as he seeks to reverse work-from-home habits established during the pandemic. The move by the state’s largest employer was applauded by business and property groups and denounced by workers unions, who said the change put New South Wales at odds with other Australian states. The premier said jobs could be made flexible in other ways, such as through part-time hours, but workers would now be required to “principally” attend an approved workplace throughout the week. Some analysts suggested lobbying by the Rupert Murdoch-owned Daily Telegraph in Sydney prompted the change.