Myer Group has reportedly told its corporate staff that they will need to return to the office full-time, as the department store and retail chain moves into a larger headquarters.
The Australian Financial Review reported the news, claiming that many staff are not happy with the new arrangements.
One staff member told the AFR that there are a few exceptions, such as living far away, or for parents, single mums, or people with health issues.
Ragtrader reached out to Myer for comment, with a spokesperson saying the new support office is purposely designed to bring its Myer and Apparel Brands teams together under one roof. The spokesperson did not respond to the return-to-office mandate.
Myer had moved into the current building in Latrobe Street in Docklands during COVID, which was only able to accommodate around a third of the workforce. This is prior to Myer snapping up Apparel Brands – Just Jeans, Jay Jays, Jacqui E, Dotti and Portmans – in a merger deal with Solomon Lew's Premier Investments.
The Apparel Brands teams are currently in the office five days a week.
The new building – located at 75 Dorcas Street in South Melbourne – has teams seated in neighbourhoods based on their department (finance, merchandise, etc.) and has more meeting rooms, collaboration spaces and studios for photo and video shoots.
Myer Group will take on five of the six floors in the building, which houses a couple of other tenants, making Myer the largest tenant in the building. The new HQ is able to support around 1,200 staff, with the AFR also reporting that the arrangements include hot desking, where many employees don’t have an assigned workstation.
Myer’s return to office mandate comes as Victoria pushes for new work from home legislation, which allows workers whose jobs can reasonably be done from home to have the right to work from home two days a week.
In a September 10 press release, the Carroll Labor Government confirmed the law will commence on July 1, 2027, and the commencement date for small businesses – with fewer than 15 staff – will move to January 1, 2028.
However, the bill stalled in Victorian Parliament five days later, with the amendments believed to be in limbo as Victoria prepares for its state election in late November.
Industry groups have rallied against the bill, with many claiming it could make Victoria a less attractive place to invest.
The Australian Retail Council joined several other business groups calling for the Victorian Government to axe the legislation – including Australian Industry Group, Business Council of Australia and the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
“Despite Premier Ben Carroll offering a significant range of amendments, those amendments do not fix a fundamentally flawed law that will risk Victoria’s economy and send jobs interstate,” the joint statement read
“Victoria already has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and at a time when households and businesses are under pressure, Victoria neither needs nor wants this legislation.”
Australian Industry Group’s Victorian head, Tim Piper, welcomed the stalling of the bill in parliament, labeling it as a “fatal blow”.
"The legislation would have created a legal right for eligible employees to work from home up to two days a week – it was an unnecessary government intervention in workplace arrangements,” Piper said.
"Working from home remains popular with many employees, and we support this, and workplaces are already adapting to flexible work arrangements”