’It’s quite exciting’: Trickle of office workers return to CBD – The Age

The uptick in pedestrian numbers comes as the revolving doors to offices throughout the city started rotating again on Monday as tens of thousands of Victorian workers made their way back to the office.

The relaxation of the work-at-home restriction – first introduced to stem the spread of COVID-19 and extended a single week following the most recent outbreak – now means up to 50 per cent of Melbourne’s half-a-million CBD-based workers are permitted to make the commute into the city.

For CBD fund manager Dani Peer, it was an unusual but positive experience overseeing high-level investment advice from home in his board shorts.

Working for an investment firm from Caulfield since March 15, Mr Peer said the delicate balance between home life and work life became increasingly blurred.

„It’s quite exciting, it’s a novelty again getting back to the office, getting back into the city,” he said.

„But doing work in one’s board shorts with the family around is also a positive experience – it’s a bit of a transition I’m experiencing.”

Dani Peer returned to the office for the first time since March 15, 2020.

Dani Peer returned to the office for the first time since March 15, 2020.Credit:Joe Armao

Kiran Kaur, who works in human resources for an architectural firm, took up the opportunity to return to work as soon as it was offered.

„When the opportunity came up to come back I just jumped straight on,” she said, „I love to have that difference of my workspace and home space”.

„Coming back and having people around you while you’re working is just really good,” she said.

With many of the CBD-based workers still working from home, the City of Melbourne has been eager for office workers to return and help revitalise the city.

Kiran Kaur prefers working from the office.

Kiran Kaur prefers working from the office.Credit:Joe Armao

Cafe manager Michael Haddad said he only saw around 30 per cent of the usual foot traffic at his Collins Street cafe Supergrind on Monday morning, but was expecting most people to return at the end of the month.

„We’ve invested so much in the city, so many people have invested in the city, it’s important we begin to come back,” he said.

„I’m happy to get back to normal … but it’s going to take some time.”

Michael Haddad says a return to office life will take time.

Michael Haddad says a return to office life will take time.Credit:Joe Armao

A Roy Morgan poll involving 503 people employed in the city found that three-quarters of workers are reluctant to go back to their workplace full-time. Prior to COVID-19 only 17 per cent of CBD workers routinely worked from home, another 26 per cent did so when necessary.

Up to 50 per cent of private sector staff and 25 per cent of public sector employees were allowed to return to their workplaces from Monday.

For Geelong-based law graduate Ivana Balta, who managed to nab a highly competitive graduate position in finance during the lockdown, it was not only her first day back in the city but her first day at a new job.

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„It was very stressful applying for jobs in lockdown,” she said, „even before lockdown you didn’t hear back from people, but with lockdowns happening it was even worse”.

Victoria’s public service – the city’s largest employer – expected 50 per cent of its staff to be back at their desks from February 8.

The biggest barrier to getting people back into the office, according to the Roy Morgan poll, was COVID-19 safety in public (80 per cent of respondents), COVID safety at work (77 per cent) and commuting or parking (77 per cent). Seventy per cent also said losing flexible working arrangements was a barrier to returning to their office.

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