Stats show Australia is one of top adopters in allowing flexible work
With where people can work becoming a greater focus for employees, with a greater impetus placed on flexibility and work-life balance – an Australian workplace expert told HRD working from home is “here to stay”, but it’s far from perfect.
Caitlin Guilfoyle (picture left), an independent workplace expert, says hybrid and flexible working models have become normalised, with return to office mandates staying the same.
“It’s not a trend anymore. We’re not experimenting with if it works – it’s moved to becoming built into the way we live and work. It’s a fundamental shift in how workers engage with their responsibilities because it’s no longer a perk.”
The latest Global Workplace Survey 2025, from Gensler Research Institute, reveals Australia ranks third amongst the world’s leaders when it comes to remote work.
The survey finds that 25.4% of Canadian employees work from home — just behind the UK (26.3%) and slightly ahead of Australia (23.8%).
"The future is here," the report notes. "Gone are the days of building workplaces in blind anticipation of growth. Today’s workforce desires an experience that is intentional, aligned, and purpose-driven — and one that continuously adapts to their evolving expectations."
The positive trend, Guilfoyle told HRD, is down to correct implementation, noting that “businesses how have the proper infrastructure to allow this. They’ve looked at what employees want and how that can be facilitated.”
This follows a similar report, from Robert Half, which states workers find hybrid work the best to be productive, with four in 10 employers planning to implement flexible work this year.
"Hybrid work is the sweet spot for productivity according to workers as in-office and at-home environments offer them certain benefits," according to the report.
This is a sentiment echoed by Dr Shuana Nasir (pictured right) from the Australian Institute of Business, who also spoke to HRD about why flexible work models are now a mainstay in most professional environments.
“From an educational perspective, it gives students the opportunity to choose – which is very important, especially with changing perceptions and priorities of what they want at work,” Dr Nasir noted. “Enforcing a system that they don’t want to follow isn’t helpful and is counterproductive.”
Whilst working remotely has become an industry-standard practice, it is still far from perfect, according to both Guilfoyle and Nasir – stating an unnatural dependence on technology.
“If something goes wrong – your internet, you lose your laptop charger – it can put you at a total disadvantage to other peers. When you’re away from the office, all your trust is put into machinery which, I think, is misplaced. You’ve also got issues of procrastination to deal with.” Nasir noted.
Guilfoyle concurred with this analysis, but for different reasons, telling HRD that social isolation could cause issues to some workers.
“When you’re on your own, it can be tough. That’s probably one of the biggest challenges that I think a lot of people experienced with COVID. It’s just not the same as being in an office – no matter how good your infrastructure is at home. This is where leadership changes.” Guilfoyle analysed.
To tackle issues of isolation and procrastination – both Guilfoyle and Nasir agreed that leadership initiatives should be put in place, putting greater emphasis on psychosocial issues.
“There’s a big shift in leadership now, people managers need to be more aware of how their people are working to maximise individual productivity and benefits,” Guilfoyle said. “Leaders need to provide clarity – setting guardrails, expectations, and ensuring there’s a sense of collaboration in all aspects of work.”
She emphasised the need to design working weeks differently for each employee – and finding “balance” – helps unlock the potential of your workforce but is also a drastic change to how HR and people managers function.
“Challenges that leaders face around performance existed pre-working from home anyway, but now it’s shifting being able to see what people are working on. There needs to be a re-shift in focus to outcomes and value that they're providing, and letting people determine how they go about that work and then addressing performance if it's required.”
Dr Nasir noted that changes in attitudes towards work also has a big impact on its effectiveness.
“Generation Z now want flexible work. We need to keep that in mind in the future because they’re the future. All things aside, it all comes down to productivity, and I think the benefits of working from home outweighs the risks. I believe it’s here to stay, too, but issues still need to be ironed out,” Nasir stated.
