The Gold Coast Bulletin

HOME BASE WORKING BETTER

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HALF the Australian workforce would reduce their pay for the ability to work from home, yet only a third of organisati­ons have mobile employees.

The Telsyte Australian Digital Workplace Study 2017, released by nbn, finds 51 per cent of workers would forgo a portion of their pay in exchange for significan­t flexibilit­y – including more than a quarter who would happily earn 5 per cent less and one in 16 who would cut 20 per cent from their income.

Just 35 per cent of respondent­s would rather work in an office five days a week than do at least a day from home.

“Australia is a lifestyled­riven nation and the flexiworki­ng movement, assisted by access to fast broadband, is opening up new opportunit­ies for Australian workers to pursue meaningful careers while also prioritisi­ng personal commitment­s,” social researcher and generation­al expert Claire Madden says.

“Gen Z will further drive the flexi-work movement as they step into the workforce, being our most technologi­cally literate and connected generation.”

Although 84 per cent of organisati­ons report having at least one system to support mobile workers, just 34 per cent actually have staff working from home at least one day a week. Uptake is most common among IT workers (25 per cent), senior management (21 per cent) and sales representa­tives (20 per cent).

Steve Krinks (pictured), cofounder and chief marketing officer of business-to-business service Real Time Minds, works from home, allowing him to live outside a capital city.

“All I really need is a laptop and a connection and my phone so I can work anywhere,” he says.

“I don’t have to work from home but I choose to because it’s close to the coffee machine and fridge.”

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