Government employees prioritize welfare over salary

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Swinburne Edge’s Center for the New Workforce and Deloitte’s Workplace Integrity Practice surveyed more than 2,000 Australian workers about hybrid working, their work experiences during the pandemic and the importance of flexibility.

Their latest industry outlook briefing focuses on government employees.

Well-being before salary

Researchers found that government employees rate physical, mental and emotional well-being as the most important job factor, ahead of salary. Compared to workers in other sectors, welfare was more important than pay for the public sector.

In fact, three in five workers said they would forego a pay rise for flexibility, with the most common choice being between 1 and 3% of their salary.

Justin Giuliano, Partner, Risk Advisory and National Workplace Integrity Practice Leader at Deloitte, says we’ve seen a shift in priorities since the pandemic.

“Given what has happened over the past two years, flexibility and well-being are key aspects of work that seem to have grown in importance instead of constantly evolving, especially for officials who responded to our survey earlier this year,” he says.

Preferred type of work

Eighty percent of government employees chose hybrid or home as their preferred workplace, which puts government in the top two sectors where workers chose hybrid or home.

This is particularly the case for women. Eighty-eight percent of women chose hybrid or home as their ideal workplace, compared to 71 percent of men.

“This is a great opportunity for government organizations to reflect on what they can do to better align their organizational processes, systems and behaviors with worker flexibility,” adds Giuliano.

More flexible hours

Director of the Center for New Workforce at Swinburne Edge, Dr Sean Gallagher, says the benefits of flexible working are recognized by workers, but there are downsides.

“Flexible working allows for better work-life balance, less commuting time, better mental health, more physical activity and greater contribution to household chores; but it can also cause employees to work longer hours than they would in the office. Yet 20% of civil servants say they are not paid for working outside their normal hours, with workload being the main reason.

One in three workers have been working longer hours since the pandemic. Although this is the lowest result by sector, nearly 50% of civil servants regularly work outside their normal working hours.

Civil servants generally take compensatory leave for working outside normal hours. However, 20 percent of government employees said they were not paid for time worked outside their regular hours.

Although this figure is lower than other sectors, it increases the risks of non-compliance, especially since government employees are generally covered by an industrial agreement which provides compensation for time worked outside the Normal hours.

“This research should serve as a wake-up call to governments as FlexWork becomes the norm,” says Dr. Gallagher.

“Government organizations need to be aware of the work habits of their employees when working remotely. It’s a simple equation. Either workloads need to be reduced or workers get some form of overtime compensation, including compensatory time off. And both will lead to better wellness outcomes.

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