Aussie workers lose work-from-home perks as employers regain power, expert warns
- Expert said employees have lost negotiation powers
- She described Australia has having an 'employer market'
- READ MORE: Gen Z corporate worker's scathing take on WFH
A recruitment expert has revealed Aussie job seekers have lost their negotiation powers, with work-from-home options now on the chopping block for many companies.
Specialist recruiter and career coach Tammie Ballis told Daily Mail Australia that employers now hold all the power in the job market.
The recruiter said work-from-home options and flexible or hybrid arrangements are becoming 'less and less' in the years after the Covid pandemic.
In recent months, businesses such as Amazon, Dell, Tabcorp and Flight Centre have introduced a return-to-office mandates, pushing staff for five days a week in the office.
Just last week, National Australia Bank reportedly ordered staff back to the office for three days a week.
'You might think you've got a work-from-home job, but you might not have that next week,' Ms Ballis said.
'Employers can decide to change it, and people shouldn't just trust that the workplace is going to give them what they want.
'As long as they are within the legal rights and within the law, businesses can change their terms and conditions when it comes to your employment.'
In another blow to staff, Ms Bayliss said bosses are unlikely to offer extra pay or cover transport costs for those working from the office - leaving employees to pay thousands each year out of their own pockets.
'The employers don't care. They don't care if you prefer to work from home. If you're not going to do the job, someone else will come in and do it for you,' she said.
Specialist recruiter and career coach for Realistic Careers Tammie Christofis Ballis (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia employers now held all the power in the job market
National Australia Bank was the latest Aussie business to introduce a return-to-office mandate following in the steps of Amazon, Dell, Tabcorp, and Flight Centre
Ms Ballis said she did not believe employees would quit over in-office-mandates as it was more difficult than ever to find a job.
'In today's job market, when there are hundreds and thousands of people applying for jobs it becomes an employer's market,' Ms Ballis said.
'Jobs are becoming so hard to find at the moment. Two years ago, I would have said differently, but as of today, 2025 work-from-home jobs are becoming less and less.
'If those people choose to quit because they're losing their work-from-home days, there will be people who come in that are willing to work in the office.'
Ms Ballis said she usually encourages Aussies to negotiate terms and conditions but believes employees have lost their power.
'It's an employer's market, which means there's not enough jobs, so they get to have the pick of the bunch when it comes to the best candidates,' Ms Ballis said.
'If you don't have specialist skills, candidates aren't in a position to dictate to the employer their conditions.'
Ms Ballis said pushing workers back into the office would negatively impact employees' mental health, especially those juggling commitments like caring for family members or having less time to spend with their children.
Ms Ballis explained employees would struggle to negotiate WFH arrangements as businesses push workers back into the office in the years after the Covid pandemic (stock image)
She said if an employee's working arrangements had changed, they had the choice to find another job that was better suited for their commitments.
'At the end of the day, you can choose not to work there. You can go and work elsewhere to suit your family life,' Ms Ballis said.
'If that's what they want to do, they should go for it. Take that risk. At the end of the day, we're all living our own lives. You do what's best for you.'
Research commissioned by recruiter Robert Half found that 39 per cent of employers plan to mandate five days a week in the office for staff in 2025, up from 36 per cent of employers who did so in 2024.
'Employers are back in the driver's seat and dictate office attendance, knowing others are doing the same,' Nicole Gorton, a Director at Robert Half, said.
'As workers adjust back to the pre-pandemic way of working and observe similar mandates elsewhere, they are less reluctant to oppose these mandates in their current workplace.'
However, a separate survey by people2people found that 58 per cent of employees feel increased office attendance harms their wellbeing, and 26 per cent would consider quitting if required to come in more often.
The survey said 37 per cent of job seekers say they'd expect a 5-10 per cent pay rise to return to the office full-time, and a further 32 per cent say even a small bump would be expected.
