Wellingtonians are hoping the government's call to bring public service workers back into the office will be a shot in the arm for struggling businesses.
But public servants say they're being belittled and the government is using the sector as a scapegoat.
Public Service Minister Nicola Willis told RNZ working from home was not an entitlement and more public servants needed to be in the office.
She said Wellington on a Monday or Friday could seem like a ghost town and having more people coming into the city will help change that.
Photo: 123RF
An important boost for businesses
On the streets of the capital, Julie Towarek said she hoped the move would reinvigorate city businesses.
"The shops are suffering, the businesses are suffering, the coffee shops are suffering because everyone's staying at home. But if they have to come back into the office, great. I think it's going to help boost the economy," Towarek said.
Owner of Ernesto's Restaurant and Bar, Steve Drummond, said working from home policies had a massive impact on his business.
"Overall, we're still seeing a real struggle in relation to people not coming into the city, particularly on Mondays and Fridays. Those are probably the most challenging days.
"I think we've had a triple whammy. We've had work from home policies that are a little bit unstructured, we've got an economy that's struggling and we've had some massive cuts through Wellington, so it's been really painful," Drummond said.
'Sugar hit' no match for the loss of thousand of jobs
Wellington City Councillor Ben McNulty said if the move provided a "sugar hit" for the economy it paled in comparison to the impact of the loss of nearly 6500 jobs in the city.
"Most people are actually more worried about the uncertainty still hanging over their roles - even if they're still employed. Certainty is what breeds financial spending, not a heavy-handed approach from the top.
"You take an absolute boot to the local economy, pulling out hundreds of millions of dollars of wages, and then this is trying to make amends for the damage that they have fundamentally created in the first place. I think trying to make working conditions worse for public servants when they're already under immense levels of stress and heavy workloads is not going to dramatically change the balance of things," McNulty said.
Public servants unfairly singled out
One public service worker - of more than twenty years - said they were being unfairly singled out as both the cause of, and solution to, Wellington's economic woes.
"If we were in it for the big bucks we certainly wouldn't be working for the public service. We don't get all these perks and benefits that other people have been going on about.
"It feels belittling and hopeless and sad because you've got all these amazing people with all this amazing knowledge trying to help New Zealanders - and we're being blamed at the same time - and reduced in number."
Another public servant - who did not want to be named - said they felt the directive could be the last straw for people considering the move across the ditch.
"I catch the train so not only did the half-price fares disappear, [but] forcing people to come back home, that's just adding more costs and the tax cuts don't add up.
"The mood of the city is pretty dire and, even at the train station this morning, you can tell people are not really happy. It won't make a difference. I mean, if anything, you're just shifting the problem," they said.
Council of Trade Unions president Richard Wagstaff said the government's intrusion into the day to day management of the public service was "wholly inappropriate".
He said the government's directive was a "ham-fisted" solution to the problems created by it's own cuts to the public sector.
"We need to attract our best and brightest in the public service, it's incredibly important work. This has just made that a lot harder. Already it's been under the hammer from this government.
"They have shown a real disrespect for the public service, undervaluing the jobs that are being done at a time when we really need some positivity for the public service not more negatives," Wagstaff said.
A boost for workplace efficiency
One ministry staffer he said he preferred heading to the office to work.
"My own observation is it's kind of tough to work full-time remotely. I used to do that in the past and I didn't enjoy being so disconnected from the team."
Risk systems analyst Aaron Eldridge said he felt working from home could benefit people in different ways.
"My effort, I think, is a lot better when I'm connected with people. Some people get distracted by people and are more introverts and work better when they're at home and can just get on and focus. We don't all work the same, right? I think it really comes down to the individual," he said.
But another person - who didn't want to be named - said there was more to workplace productivity than where people were working.
"I don't think working in the office is necessarily a marker of productivity. If you really want to have a vibrant city, you don't lay off 6,000 staff, you get people wanting to work and doing exciting work. You know, think about morale rather than thinking about where people are physically working," they said.
The person said they doubted propping up hospitality was the genuine motivation behind the move.
"If I'm spending money on the bus, I don't have money for a coffee, you know? These are issues that are affecting the whole economy. It's not going to be solved with one tiny tweak that maybe just benefits commercial landlords," they said.
