The public service union has launched legal action against ACC after the agency gave staff less than an hour’s notice before altering its work-from-home rules.
Reports indicate that ACC has recently informed employees of a new requirement to be physically present in the office three days a week, up from the previous two-day expectation.
The Public Service Association (PSA) stated that ACC disregarded the collective agreement’s obligation to consult the union before making policy changes.
PSA national secretary, Fleur Fitzsimons, said people applied for jobs at ACC due to the three-day work-from-home provision.
“ACC actually went out of their way to advertise three days from home, and people have reported to the union that they feel horribly misled, deceived and cheated,” Fitzsimons said.
“They applied for these roles and then planned their whole lives around these working-from-home arrangements, only to have them taken off them.”
The PSA has lodged a claim with the Employment Relations Authority.
Meanwhile, ACC declined to comment, stating it was not aware of any legal action.
Fitzsimons said the union wants ACC to engage with staff about why working from home matters to them.
“If they do that, what they’ll find out is that productivity increases, people will report more concentration on tasks, and morale’s gone up.”
ACC started reviewing its work-from-home policy in September, stating that office presence supports engagement and training and enhances culture and teamwork. However, Fitzsimons said staff reported that managers rarely tried to engage with them on the days they were in the office.