Despite a global push for workers to return to the office, new research shows more than a third of Aussies continue to work from home.

The research comes from the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA), an economic think tank which observed workers, employers and the broader Australian economy have “continued to benefit” from the availability of work-from-home (WFH) and hybrid working arrangements at broadly the same rate as last year.

Fully 36 per cent of Australians were working from home on a regular basis in August of this year, representing a dramatic shift from the 5 per cent measured during the 2016 Census.

And while this marked only a 1 per cent dip from the same period in 2023, the committee noted many senior business leaders remain “less convinced” of WFH benefits – citing a KPMG survey of more than 1,300 global chief executives which found 83 per cent expect a full return to the office within the next three years.

“In Australia, the result was similar at 82 per cent,” said CEDA.

Only 39 per cent of Australian directors believed WFH was good for productivity, and a lesser 28 per cent thought so for innovation.

No difference to productivity

Meanwhile, a trial of 1,600 workers from Stanford University economics professor Nicholas

Bloom not only found no differences in productivity or innovation between hybrid and office-only workers, but further observed increased job satisfaction.

“Workers clearly like having the option to work from home some days of the week, valuing it as much as an 8 per cent pay rise,” CEDA economist James Brooks told Information Age.

CEDA meanwhile noted 25 per cent of Australians working from home were motivated by flexibility, while over 20 per cent had a home-based business or job, and more than 10 per cent aimed to save money and time on the daily commute.

WFH a boon for mothers

CEDA observed the shift towards WFH and hybrid arrangements has “significantly improved” workplace participation for carers and women with young children, with approximately 8 per cent of women adopting at-home working practices for childcare or other family and care purposes.

Furthermore, women with young children upped their workforce participation in roles which allow WFH some 9 per cent from 2019 to 2023 – a finding complemented by the fact that women in Australia’s cyber security sector have been found to favour flexible work arrangements.

People living with a health condition or disability meanwhile saw a 4.4 per cent uptick in such roles for the same period.

“The growth and acceptance of WFH and hybrid work have clearly helped overcome barriers that previously made it harder for these groups to participate in the labour market,” said CEDA.

Participation rate skyrockets

As lasting skills shortages in Australian ICT sectors shortage have finally started to ease, CEDA observed the growth of WFH could be contributing to Australia’s “historically high labour

force participation rate and low unemployment”.

“Our results show employers now have access to a broader talent pool and potentially better skills matches thanks to these new ways of working,” said CEDA.

CEDA further highlighted some 60 per cent of managers and professionals regularly worked from home, while just 21 per cent did so for non-professional and non-managerial occupations.

Brooks added hybrid work is likely “here to stay”, while CEDA stressed WFH “should not become an industrial relations battleground”.

“As employers assess and evolve their approach, they should try to make both remote and in-office work more effective, maximising the benefits for everyone,” said CEDA.