Editorial: Back to the old grindstone ... or new horizons

Vodafone marketing lead Tanna Halder receives some Easter eggs from bunnies in an incentive to get staff back into the office after Covid 19. Photo / Dean Purcell

EDITORIAL:

Workplaces are sprouting back to life, with staff emerging from their home offices as the country returns from Easter under an amber traffic light.

More movement can be seen in city and town centres. In Auckland, public transport data from Thursday, April 7, shows 175,774 trips were made — an increase of 20 per cent from two weeks earlier.

However, Perpetual Guardian chief executive Andrew Barnes thinks bosses should think hard before demanding everyone trudge back to the office five days a week. He believes a hybrid model is becoming more of a consideration where the working week is split between home and the office.

For some Kiwis, returning to an office may mean an office in another country.

Younger people in particular, who may have missed an OE since 2020 or generally feel their life has been on hold for two years, may want to make up for it.

A shortage of labour around the world makes it a good time for many to try their luck.

Australia, in particular, has probably never looked more attractive. It offers the benefits of a bigger, wealthier society - greater variety, job opportunities, and the chance of advancement - and better wages with which to cope with higher prices and save.

It's arguably preparing better for a future pandemic with a Moderna hub being set up expected to produce mRNA vaccines from 2024 and purpose-built quarantine facilities. In any case, it's also a very short flight home if a new virus strikes.

The Government's Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) told ministers in February that "roughly 50,000 New Zealand citizens might choose to emigrate over the next year as our borders open".

It added: "We expect Australian employers will recruit more actively in New Zealand as our borders open, offering workers higher wages than are available locally."

Travel and overseas work experience often benefits the country if Kiwis find their way home again.

Losing workers to Australia is an old story, but it may become more noticeable over the next couple of years.

Without deep pockets, retaining valued employees or losing them overseas may mean businesses need to explore the advantages of flexible working arrangements.