'We get distracted': Staff on pros and cons of work from home
Workers in Wellington are split on the government's push for public service workers to return to the office.
Former dentist Julie Towarek doubted that workers could be just as productive at home.
"Look, people can work from home and they do make it work, however the productivity is less.
"Let's face it, we get distracted at home with all sorts of different things," she said.
"I mean there are different ways of keeping your computer 'active,' quote unquote, and doing the laundry at the same time. Nothing wrong with it, but you know, let's face it.
"When you're working, you should be in the office, I think."
IT worker Aaron Eldridge said he could tell when work-from-homers were "taking the piss".
"But in saying that, I'm a really big advocate for mental health and I think some people just do better when they're working from home," he added.
One woman, who asked not to be named, said she lived in Paraparaumu but worked for a company based in the city centre.
Photo: 123rf
She estimated that working from home saved her about $350 a fortnight.
Instead, that money could be spent on "food, bills, sports commitments, you know, for my children," she said.
"Without the bother of the phone ringing all the time and people coming up to meet with you right then and there, you can get stuck into the work that you need to do without any distractions."
She said the government mandate would not fix productivity overnight.
"I think people who are taking advantage of the system will always take advantage of the system, no matter whether you're staying at home or working from the office. They're just advantage takers."
Jacinta Harrop, a worker in central Wellington, preferred to work in the office.
"But I know a lot of people who are just as productive and just as efficient working from home," she said.
"I know a lot of people who can't afford to live in the central city ... so working from home has really benefited them being able to buy their first house because they don't live in the city anymore."