Wellington earthquake shows working from home still needed – Editorial

Defence House in Wellington was demolished after the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake. Photo / Mark Mitchell

EDITORIAL

Public servants have been under intense scrutiny in Wellington this year as the coalition Government continues its drive to cut costs and find efficiencies.

The latest expectation placed on their shoulders: save a “dying” Wellington by returning to the office.

It’s hoped stricter rules around working from home in government departments will see more people in Wellington’s CBD, spending their money on takeaway coffees, cafe lunches, after-work drinks and lunchtime splurges.

Businesses themselves have blamed reduced foot traffic as a reason for economic struggles, largely driven, they say, by people working from home.

Sunday’s 5.7-magnitude earthquake delivered a timely reminder as to why that’s become somewhat of a norm for those in the capital.

Long before the Covid-19 pandemic disrupted lives across the country, Wellingtonians were familiar with being forced out of their workplaces at short notice to work from home.

It was the 2016 Kaikōura earthquake, magnitude 7.8, that was a game-changer for the city. And it’s that single event that forced every employer to confront business continuity in the face of major disruption.

In the immediate aftermath, at least 3000 public servants couldn’t get into their offices. Several buildings, including Defence House and Statistics House, had to be demolished.

In the years since, there’s been a steady stream of building closures – either temporary or permanent – as structural issues are identified; offices moving from one building to the next, temporary workspaces set up to accommodate displaced quake refugees.

Today, the number of earthquake-prone buildings in the capital totals 572; 52 of those are residential apartments, equating to 980 units.

Following the latest jolt to hit Wellington on Sunday, ANZ closed its Tory St building to carry out an assessment. Staff, including NZME employees based in the building, were once again asked to work from home – a request these days that causes little disruption, thanks to adaptations to how we work.

In announcing the new expectations for public servants, Public Service Minister Nicola Willis said “working-from-home arrangements are not an entitlement and should be by agreement between the employee and the employer”.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said he wanted a “highly productive and collaborative” public service.

No one can argue with those expectations and goals, but with a public sector largely based in one of our shakiest cities, working from home is also an unavoidable necessity.

There’s no predicting when Wellington will be disrupted by the next quake, and there’s no telling what part of the city will be most affected.

To ensure we do have a highly productive public service that can promise continuity in the face of a natural disaster, workplaces will need to retain the ability to have their entire workforce operating remotely.

It’s not about people skiving off or pandering to entitled individuals, it’s about resilience and adaptability in an earthquake-prone country.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.