Dutton’s End To Work-From-Home For 365,000 Public Servants Could Improve Social Health But It Shouldn’t Be A Hard-and-Fast Rule

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Tuesday 4 March 2025

The Foundation for Social Health is a national initiative developed to improve mental health by increasing social connectivity. We partnered with Redbridge Group to survey 1,139 ACT residents and gain an understanding of how changes to the nature of work, and specifically, fixed office workplace location impacted mental health outcomes. 

Key findings from this poll are:

• Almost half (49.3%) ‘sometimes’ or ‘often’ struggled with their mental health, and an additional 12% identified as having a mental health issue actively seeking treatment. The results are slightly higher for younger people, and for women.
• Majority (47.3%)  reported that work was unfulfilling stating that they felt unhappy or ambivalent about their role. 
• 19.8% believed that social isolation and loneliness contributed to the mental health crisis. This was behind Economic Hardship (24%) and Overworking (20.4%). 
• 1 in 3 of women had been bullied on one or more occasions by a boss or coworker, this is compared to 50% of men who have never experienced workplace bullying in their careers. 

Peter Dutton’s election commitment today to mandate return to the office for 365,000 public servants provides possible positive mental health and broader social health benefits to the ACT however flexibility is still a key consideration.

According to recent statistics from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 36% of the Australian workforce work from home at least once per week. When asked about hybrid working arrangements 88% of employees desired partial working from home, with 60% leaning towards a part-time office and work from home arrangement.

Foundation Health CEO Melanie Wilde said that nuance is critical in this debate and if we're bringing public servants back to the office, it should be something worth coming back to. 

“The focus should be on workplaces that foster collaboration, inclusion, and mental well-being—not just a mandate that forces people into the office for the sake of it.”

“We know that the people who are least likely to be lonely are those who are employed or see family and friends in-person at least once a week–and for many people if they are not going into a workplace they are not getting these social connections anywhere else.”

“In our own research, it’s clear that the shift to online and remote work has not only brought with it increased flexibility but also increased social isolation. Video conferencing and digital communication have replaced meeting room banter and water cooler conversations that maintain trust and build regular relational connections.”

“We also know that good policy comes from real connection, not isolation. Public servants aren’t just workers—they’re the architects of the nation’s future. If they aren’t engaged in the communities they serve, how can they write policies that truly reflect the needs of Australians?”

“With bullying at a record high and hot-desks becoming an anonymising force, workplaces must change and a return to the office shouldn’t mean a return to toxic office culture or isolation at desks,” said Wilde.

Foundation for Social Health Deputy CEO and industrial relations expert Louise Crossman said that we must be cautious of new legal obligations for psychological safety in the recent changes to work health and safety legislation.  

“It’s now work health and safety law that all employers in Australia are responsible for improving and monitoring the psychological health of their workers, including the Commonwealth.”

“This means there is a legal need to provide a mentally safe and healthy workplace whether these are in a shared workplace or a home office.”

“Working from an office where you still spend your day on teleconference can not only be an incredibly isolating experience as an individual worker, it can also be difficult for managers and leaders to spot psychological risks and monitor an employee's wellbeing.”

“Being left in a ‘set and forget’ situation working from home is also isolating. While we encourage people to work from an office to share knowledge, collaborate on new ideas, and build their social connections, we also recognise that a mandate without support structures can be counterproductive and potentially lead to a brain drain, particularly of women,” Crossman said. 

Founding Board Member and former ACT Shadow Health Minister Giulia Jones said to get people back to the office it’s about the carrot, not just the stick.

"Employers need to get going on making their workplaces attractive places to be, with positive cultures and can-do responses to the employees needs."

It’s time to bring Canberra back together, starting with the place we spend the majority of our lives: the office. More information on the Foundation for Social Health and our work head to www.foundationforsocialhealth.org.au

Media contact: Melanie Wilde CEO on 0401 518 562 or melanie@foundationdforsocialhealth.org.au and alternatively Louise Crossman Deputy CEO on 0410 475 676 or louise@foundationforsocialhealth.org.au