1. Flexible work centre trial
Queensland Government report
April 2016
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
2.
3. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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Table of contents
Executive summary...................................................................................... 5
1. Introduction................................................................................... 7
1.1 Rapid urban growth and liveability in Queensland............................7
1.2 Evolution of co-working...................................................................7
1.3 Smart work centres.........................................................................8
1.4 Building the market—not the infrastructure......................................9
1.5 The emergence of activity-based work........................................... 10
1.6 Telework in the Queensland Government....................................... 12
2. The trial........................................................................................14
2.1 Purpose and objectives of the trial ................................................ 14
2.2 Independent research................................................................... 14
2.3 Internal governance...................................................................... 14
2.4 Recruitment for the trial.................................................................15
2.5 Profile of participants in the trial ................................................... 16
3. Results summary..........................................................................17
3.1 Benefits for workers.......................................................................17
Health ...............................................................................................................17
Family ...............................................................................................................17
Community connection .....................................................................................18
Financial savings...............................................................................................18
3.2 Benefits for staff supervisors ........................................................ 18
3.3 Benefits for the departments......................................................... 19
Improved productivity........................................................................................19
Accommodation costs........................................................................................21
Use of digital technologies and tools..................................................................21
3.4 Issues with using flexible work centres..........................................22
Remote supervision.......................................................................................... 22
Lack of face-to-face team interaction................................................................. 22
IT issues........................................................................................................... 22
Limited interaction with other workers.............................................................. 23
Team effects..................................................................................................... 23
4. 4
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
4. Key findings from the trial............................................................ 24
4.1 Enabling technology (focused on mobility and
digital connectivity). .....................................................................26
4.2 Business culture change (transitioning from the management
of teams in an office to virtual teams or projects)............................ 27
4.3 Activity-based work office spaces (in the flexible work centres
and the head offices of large companies and corporations) ............28
5. Recommendations from the trial................................................... 30
6. Conclusions................................................................................. 32
5. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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The Queensland Government flexible work centre trial took place over 12
months to March 2015. The trial was coordinated and administered by Digital
Economy and Productivity, Department of Science, Information Technology
and Innovation. It trialled the use of two Queensland flexible work centres—
otherwise known as co-working centres, digital work hubs or smart work
centres—as alternative telework points for Queensland Government workers.
Flexible work centres offer a supported and social work environment where
hot-desks can be hired by a variety of organisations or individuals on a daily,
weekly or casual basis. They are emerging around the world in response to the
availability of wi-fi, mobile and cloud computing, and the rise of freelance and
project-based workers looking for a casual and/or convenient place to work.
There are approximately 20 small, privately owned and operated co-working
centres in South East Queensland, mostly concentrated in and around
the Brisbane CBD. The flexible work centres used in the trial were located
approximately a one-hour drive north and south of the Brisbane CBD at
Co SPACES at Southport on the Gold Coast and The Hive at Redcliffe.
The use of flexible work centres by Queensland Government workers
potentially provides a number of whole-of-government benefits including:
• greater productivity, efficiency and staff retention
• improved workforce health and work–life balance within the Queensland
Government public service
• the promotion of activity-based work models and desk-efficient office
design within the Queensland Government
• the ability to rationalise space within CBD office buildings
• reduction in peak congestion on transport corridors, including roads and
public transport
• social and economic development of communities around flexible work
centres
• encouraging innovation, collaboration and technology transfer due to
peer-to-peer networks formed in the flexible work centres, often across
roles and industry sectors
• the support of business incubation and innovation environments.
The trial was overseen by a steering committee with representation from
seven key departments. The Department of Science, Information Technology
and Innovation was represented by the Queensland Government Chief
Information Office, the State Library of Queensland and the Digital Economy
and Productivity unit.
The Queensland University of Technology’s Urban Informatics Lab was
commissioned to conduct independent research for the trial, and undertook
online surveys, focus groups and interviews over the 12-month period.
Executive summary
6. 6
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
A total of 47 government workers participated in the trial, working a range of
one, two or three days per week at the centres. Participants were drawn from
10 government departments.
The key findings from the trial included:
• 64% of participants stated working from a flexible work centre increased
their productivity, 36% stated their productivity remained the same.
• Productivity gains came from the greater motivation and energy derived
from less commuting and travel. Participants also reported they were more
productive on days when they worked in their usual office.
• The average time each participant saved in travel was 72 minutes per day.
• 83% of participants stated their health and wellbeing had improved
through the use of the flexible work centre. This was due to:
—— reduced tiredness and fatigue
—— increased time with family and for family commitments
—— increased exercise and recreational activities
—— participation in community activities.
• Participants saved around $30 per day, mostly in travel costs (public
transport or petrol).
• 80% of trial participants increased their use of digital technologies as
communications tools.
• 47% of the participants in the trial were over 45 years old. Participants
were also mostly in administrative levels of AO6 and above.
• Supervisors saw the provision of an office/work environment away
from home-based distractions as the key advantage in their workers
teleworking from a flexible work centre. The fact that their workers were
located in a ‘place of work’ (as opposed to their home or a café) generated
greater supervisor trust in a telework arrangement. Some supervisors were
reassured their staff were in a place of work between certain hours
(e.g. 9.00 am – 5.00 pm).
• 76% of participants claimed they would be willing to give up a dedicated
desk (in exchange for a hot-desk) in their main office if they were able to
continue to work at a flexible work centre.
The results of the trial will be considered by the Queensland Government in
the context of broader workforce and future accommodation strategies.
64% increased
their productivity.
83% improved
their health and
wellbeing.
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1. Introduction
1.1 Rapid urban growth and liveability in Queensland
Queensland faces a number of challenges related to rapid urban
growth. The south-east corner in particular—covering increasingly
urbanised and connecting strips of coastal development, inland
farming centres and the state capital of Brisbane—is one of Australia’s
highest growth areas; currently with a population of 2.5 million people
but predicted to contain an extra 1.5 million residents by 2031.1
New housing developments in the outer regions of Brisbane are
being linked by costly transport infrastructure, and in many cases are
emerging as ‘dormitory suburbs’, where workers eat and sleep after
long days of working and commuting to and from more established
business and employment centres, located up to two hours’ drive away.
Long and unpredictable commutes are linked to a number of
detrimental health and wellbeing issues in individuals, and
significantly lower the liveability and economic efficiency of cities and
regions.
With the major arterial transport routes becoming more congested
and increasing travel times for commuters, many organisations are
examining ways to enable a more mobile and flexible workforce
through options such as telework.
Telework rates in Australia have historically been disappointing,
however, especially in large organisations. A number of workplace
cultural practices—managerial resistance and a lack of trust of the
productivity of home-base workers—have kept organisational telework
rates at around 6%, despite the widespread adoption of wireless
mobile computing devices and advances in online communications
such as cloud-based email, videoconferencing, and direct access to
workplace networks and collaborative platforms.
1.2 Evolution of co-working
Over the last five years, mobile computing and access to wi-fi networks
have created a rapid rise in the number of co-working centres in
Brisbane, Australia, and the world.
Co-working centres are supported and communal office spaces where
freelancers and micro businesses can come together on a casual basis.
Co-working centres provide the office basics, such as workspaces,
high-speed wi-fi, printers, air-conditioning and heating, kitchens,
meeting rooms and workplace desks. More importantly, they can
1 South East Queensland Regional Plan 2009–2014, <dlg.qld.gov.au/planning/regional-planning/review-of-the-south-east-queensland-
regional-plan.html>.
8. 8
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
provide psychological and motivational benefits of being part of a work
community. This is particularly important for digital workers who would
otherwise work in isolation at home or in public places such as coffee
shops or libraries.
Co-working centres around the world are supported by a number of
different business models, and often linked to an events program.
They are also sometimes linked to business innovation, incubation and
investment activities, with access to venture capital funds or business
mentoring.
Co-working centres have traditionally been focused on freelancers,
startups and micro businesses seeking collaboration and needing
communal support without long leases, but in some countries they
have also developed into digital work hubs or telecommuting points for
workers of larger organisations.
1.3 Smart work centres
In 2011, Dutch urban designers and technologists presented a paper
at a Brisbane urban design conference on the evolution of smart work
centres in The Netherlands. The Dutch smart work centres combine the
functions of both co-working centres (based on freelancers) and the
digital work hub (based on telecommuters of larger organisations).
In 2012, an officer from the Digital Economy and Productivity unit
visited The Netherlands to examine the model of development for smart
work centres which had seen them grow in number from just eight in
2008 to over 120 nationwide in early 2012.
The development of smart work hubs in The Netherlands was primarily
to cut traffic congestion on some of the major arterial roads in and
out of Amsterdam in peak hours. Use of smart work hubs by the City
of Amsterdam Government workers also allowed the government to
reduce its use of CBD buildings by a third, saving €10 million per year in
office accommodation costs.
Smart work centres were trialled by the City of Amsterdam Government
in 2007. The initial pilot did not produce commercially sustainable
centres, and the City of Amsterdam Government changed its model.
Instead of building and operating the centres itself, it bought 175,000
desk hours at existing or emerging smart work centres owned and
operated by the private sector.
This allowed public servants to work at any smart work centre within
the broader community of workers from all industrial sectors. The
policy built the market through creating demand, instead of building
the infrastructure itself.
10. 10
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
Other Australian states, such as New South Wales and South Australia,
have supported the development of co-working centres or work
hubs through the provision of capital expenditure required for their
establishment—$1.5 million in New South Wales and $800,000 in
South Australia.
In October 2014, approval was gained for the flexible work centre
trial to proceed with a budget of $130,000. This was allocated to the
purchase of the desk spaces and independent research to monitor the
trial.
The two flexible work centres used in the trial had only just been
established. Co SPACES at Southport had been open and operating
for approximately 12 months. The Hive at Redcliffe opened around the
same time as the trial—March 2014—and has been supported in its
first year by the desks purchased for Queensland Government trial
participants. Both of these centres used the steady income provided
by the Queensland Government to further establish their centres and
create sustainable business models for co-working.
1.5 The emergence of activity-based work
Coinciding with the take-up of mobile computing technologies (for
example, wi-fi, laptops, tablets, cloud-hosted networks and platforms)
has been the rise of ‘activity-based work’. Activity-based work refers
to management of workers based on tasks achieved, rather than time
present in an office.
Activity-based work allows workers greater freedom to choose the
places, hours and times that best suit their productivity, and operates
as if each worker is on a contract of duties, rather than the conventional
9.00 am – 5.00 pm schedule. It gives people the autonomy to develop
their own work schedules to get jobs done in agreed timeframes. The
benefits of this mode of work include greater employee control over
work relationships and demands. These are critical factors in the
prevention of occupational stress. Reduction in work-related stress is a
priority of Workplace Health and Safety Queensland.2
2 Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (29 June 2015) Hazardous manual tasks resources, <worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-
safety/hazardous-manual-tasks/hazardous-manual-tasks-resources>; Workplace Health and Safety Queensland (29 June 2015) What
is work-related stress, <worksafe.qld.gov.au/injury-prevention-safety/workplace-hazards/work-related-stress/what-is-work-related-
stress>.
11. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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Advocates of activity-based work suggest that it:
• increases productivity
• allows greater trust and autonomy of workers within and beyond the
workplace
• maintains motivation within a work group
• decreases ‘presenteeism’ or hours where workers are present in the
office but non-productive
• increases the use of digital technologies in team dynamics, and the
creation of productive ‘virtual teams’
• promotes business innovation and collaboration across workplace
silos
• increases teleworking
• allows for significant space consolidation within the workplace
through hot-desking.
The increased mobility and autonomy in activity-based work also
releases workers from their designated desk spaces. Many modern
office spaces are being designed with floor plans that allow workers to
use available desks, meeting rooms or interaction spaces, booked or
occupied on a casual basis. Personal effects are often stored in lockers
or totes.
Large companies in Queensland, Australia and around the world are
now adopting activity-based work programs, changing their head-office
floor plans, and implementing ‘bring your own device’ policies along
with secure cloud platforms and virtual team technologies.
The Queensland Government has been exploring the introduction
of activity based work as part of its Workplace of the Future project.
The Workplace of the Future project is examining the concept of agile
working and is exploring options to implement different workplace
settings within the existing government office portfolio. The project
focuses on establishing workplaces that can support a variety of
activities enabled by emerging technology. The flexible nature of the
office design enables a high mobility approach to working and includes
provision of appropriate support spaces, collaborative team spaces,
quiet rooms and breakout areas. The project will also consider impacts
to team cohesion as a result of virtual working, associated behavioural
change in response to emerging technology, a paperlite environment
and a no desk ownership policy.
The workplace of
the future is now
being explored by
the Queensland
Government.
12. 12
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
The Queensland Government Accommodation Office recently launched
a Distributed Work Centre (DWC) pilot in Ipswich which is a whole-of-
government initiative and will be rolled out in key commuter corridors
over a two-year timeframe. The other DWCs will be established on the
Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and the Northern corridor.
The Workplace of the Future project also coincides with the design of
floor plans for the new Queensland Government office tower at
1 William Street, Brisbane, due to be completed in 2016.
1.6 Telework in the Queensland Government
The 2014 Working for Queensland survey of Queensland Government
workers put the telework rate across all departments at 1.7%. The
Australian Public Service had an estimated telework rate of 10% in 2013
(down from 15% in 2012).3
This extremely low rate of telework within the Queensland Public
Service is despite years of promotion and the supply of telework
toolkits by the PSC and agencies’ human resource policies.
Telework has been promoted across the Queensland Government
because it:
• improves productivity and worker engagement
• increases the skills available to departments
• significantly contributes to worker retention
• allows for greater equity, opening up opportunities for people
living in regional centres, or those with disabilities or family
responsibilities.
Anecdotally, the primary reason stated for the low take-up of telework
is a lack of support for out of office work by the direct managers of
workers. Many managers want workers to be ‘in the line of sight’, as
once they are out of sight, they are out of mind, and subconsciously
unavailable for work tasks.
There is also a distrust of the productivity of workers outside the
workplace, particularly if they are working from home. ‘Despite the
research which shows teleworkers are more productive than in-office
workers, especially if they are required to do creative tasks’4
, there
is still a persistent attitude that workers may be ‘taking it easy’, or
distracted by housework or other activities when they work from home.
3 Australian Public Service Commission (2013) State of the Service Series—teleworking, <apsc.gov.au/about-the-apsc/parliamentary/
state-of-the-service/sosr-2012-13/chapter-nine/teleworking>.
4 Bosva R, Gloet M, Kurnia S, Mendoza A, Young J (2013) ‘Telework, productivity and well-being: An Australian perspective’,
Telecommunications Journal of Australia Volume 63.1.
13. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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Most workers enjoy workplace interaction with their colleagues when
they are in the office. Very few workers telework full-time or over
extended periods of time—they find the social isolation demotivating
and lonely. Research has also shown that workers who telework are
disadvantaged in terms of workplace advancement5
, so being seen in
the office is important for many workers, especially, perhaps, in the
early stages of their career.
Telework can, however, be increasingly important for workers towards
the end of their career.6
Flexible work centres have the potential to boost rates of telework
through:
• providing a trusted place of work away from home, potentially
increasing the trust in workers wishing to telework
• alleviating the social isolation of telework through being part of a
second work community
• being supported by the office furniture and equipment at the flexible
work centre, such as ergonomic furniture, printers, videoconference
facilities and wi-fi networks which may not be available in a home-
based environment
• providing good separation between ‘work’ and ‘home’ lives, and
being a place of work away from home-based distractions.
5 The Economist (2012, October 13) ‘Out of sight, out of mind; people who work from home are less likely to be promoted’,
<economist.com/node/21564581>.
6 Deloitte Access Economics, Colmar Brunton (2012) Creating jobs through NBN-enabled telework, Department of Broadband
Communications and the Digital Economy, <deloitte.com/au/en/pages/economics/articles/creating-jobs-through-nbn-enabled-
telework.html>.
A report by Deloitte Access Economics
(2010)6
found that more mature workers
than younger workers telework, and
the availability of telework delayed
retirement by an average of 6.6 years.
14. 14
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
2.1 Purpose and objectives of the trial
The objectives of the trial as stated in the original business case were
to:
• test the ongoing viability of flexible work centres to support
teleworking and improved workforce productivity of Queensland
Government workers
• contribute to knowledge of organisational innovation within the
public and private sectors and test possible whole-of-government
and whole-of-region efficiencies in changes to work practices and
modes of travel
• forge public and private relationships in the use of flexible work
centres
• promote government and business collaboration and demonstrate
the capacity of digital platforms to significantly transform
Queensland’s economic environment
• obtain information on the productivity increases, impacts on local
communities and worker work–life balance for evidence-based
policy responses.
2.2 Independent research
The flexible work centre trial was monitored by Urban Informatics
Lab at Queensland University of Technology under an existing service
agreement between the university’s Smart Services CRC and the
Queensland Government.
It was considered critical to have the trial monitored and evaluated
independently, at arms-length from the Queensland Public Service.
This was because trial participants were to be asked about productivity
and issues related to their supervision, and it was important to assure
complete confidentiality so that no information given in the trial
could ever get back to their place of work. For the trial to be of value,
participants needed to give honest and candid responses.
2.3 Internal governance
The trial was overseen by a steering committee representing seven key
departments. The Department of Science, Information Technology and
Innovation also had representatives from the Queensland Government
Chief Information Office, the State Library of Queensland and the
Digital Economy and Productivity unit on the steering committee. The
trial was coordinated and administered by the Digital Economy and
Productivity unit.
2. The trial
15. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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2.4 Recruitment for the trial
Workers were initially recruited for the trial through their managers.
In March 2014, directors-general and heads of human resources of
the seven departments represented by delegates on the flexible work
centre trial Steering Committee were asked to send out emails to senior
officers in their departments. Emails requested that senior officers
identify staff members who may be interested in participating in the
trial, and direct them to an online expression of interest form.
There was debate at the beginning of the trial as to whether there
would be high or low demand from workers wishing to work at the
centres. If there was high demand, and a direct marketing approach,
then many workers may be disappointed when the limited spaces and
perhaps a lack of permission or support from their managers excluded
their participation. If there was low demand then there may have to be
considerable effort put into recruitment.
It was decided to test demand and target market to potential trial
participants through directors and managers, rather than openly
marketing to all workers.
This approach did not generate enough interest by workers who lived
on the Gold Coast and in the Moreton Bay Region. By the middle of the
trial (October 2014) there were still some vacancies at both centres. A
decision was then made to market directly to workers through forums
such as departmental Yammer sites, and through posters in foyers, lift
lobbies and kitchens. Word-of-mouth promotion was also beginning
to increase awareness in workers commuting from the Gold Coast and
Moreton Bay Region. Participation in the trial was also opened up to
workers across government.
By November 2014, all 10 trial desk spaces (five at Co SPACES on the
Gold Coast and five at The Hive at Redcliffe) on all days had been filled
by a total of 47 participants representing 10 Queensland Government
departments.
A criteria for enrolment in the trial was that the worker had to be
technologically enabled by their work area with a wi-fi-enabled
computing device (laptop or tablet) and a mobile phone. This may have
had an impact on the type of workers who were able to participate in
the trial.
16. 16
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
2.5 Profile of participants in the trial
A slight majority of the trial participants were male, and most were over
45 years of age and fairly senior level (administrative officer levels of
AO6 and above).
Figure 1: Gender mix of trial participants
Figure 2: Breakdown of participants’ job title
classification
AO7
9
AO6
7
AO5
6
AO3
4
SO
3
AO8
4
PO5
1
TO2
1
Male
25
Female
22
17. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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3. Results summary
The results section is a summary of The Queensland Government
Flexible Work Centre Trial—Final Report, March 2015, prepared by the
Queensland University of Technology Urban Informatics Lab and Smart
Services CRC, authored by Dr Kirralie Houghton.
3.1 Benefits for workers
A total of 98% of participants enrolled in the trial reduced their
commuting. Participants reduced their travel time between 60 and 240
minutes (average 72 minutes) per day. Participants and supervisors
stated travelling up to three or four hours a day takes its toll on
people’s lives and lifestyles and their work performance.
Health
83% of trial participants said working at a flexible work centre one or
two days a week had improved their health.
Figure 3: Health and wellbeing
How has your health and wellbeing been affected by working from the
flexible work centre?
Better
The same
Worse
83%
17%
0%
Family
Participants with children stated working from flexible work centres
gave them more time to be involved in activities like:
• taking children to swimming or other lessons
• picking children up or dropping them off at school or day care
• sharing the childcare responsibilities.
On days when they worked from a flexible work centre, parents were
able to see their children in the morning rather than leaving before
they were awake, share dinner with them at night and even have picnic
lunches together.
Having two days a week
on the coast allows me
to rejuvenate my energy.
I am far less tired without
the travel and subsequently
more productive.
[Participant]
[Participant]
My main reason for wanting to participate in this trial is to minimise my
travel time and to cut the cost of travel ($150 p/w). Four hours per day is
wasted in travel time.
17
18. 18
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
Community connection
Participants felt better able to participate in their local community as a
result of spending time working in their local area. This included being
involved in sporting activities and being more familiar with their area
and events.
Some participants stated they were better able to support friends,
neighbours or members of their community with the time saved from
travel.
Figure 4: Making local connections
Have more connection with local
community issues
Use local services (e.g. hairdressers,
mechanics, acountants)
Buy takeaway food and beverages locally
Shop locally more often
Financial savings
Most of the participants reported significant cost savings in using the
flexible work centres, notably the commute costs (public transport
costs and fuel). They saved up to $30 per day.
Other savings were in:
• parking
• fitness
• health
• groceries
• child care.
Working from the flexible work centre for even one day a week made a
significant difference or cost saving to the participants’ weekly budget.
3.2 Benefits for staff supervisors
Reassurance workers are working in safe environments,
when they are meant to be working
Supervisors were reassured staff working from flexible work centres
were available during regular office hours, in a place of work away from
home-based distractions.
42%
47%
83%
69%
[Participant]
The best part of working
from the flexible work
centre is that it is very close
to my home. The 3-hour
round trip to CBD office is
reduced to a 20-minute
round trip. Giving me more
time to pursue exercise and
fulfil family commitments.
19. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
19
Prior to the trial, teleworking from home had been infrequent
and limited to specific needs related to health, internet access or
appointments.
Some supervisors found working from home arrangements problematic
due to the irregular hours workers felt they could work. Supervisors
were concerned about health and safety when staff had worked late at
night and then come into work tired the next day.
Working from a flexible work centre provided managers with
reassurance that their workers were spending their time on their work,
and were available during the regular office hours.
3.3 Benefits for departments
Supervisors stated a number of benefits to their departments
including:
• improved productivity
• greater retention of staff
• less sick leave
• potentially lower accommodation costs.
Improved productivity
83% of participants felt the trial would improve their personal
productivity through the use of the flexible work centre. This initial
expectation was confirmed throughout the trial.
[Supervisor]
I don’t mind what hours my staff send emails, but I expect them to be
able to come to work and function at 9.00 am regardless. If they are
working late hours it becomes a health and safety issue.
We had to put a stop to it
(flexible telework), people
were logging on at all hours
and not available in work
hours.
19
[Supervisor]
20. 20
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
Figure 5: Personal productivity—expectations
How do you expect the trial to affect your personal work productivity?
50%
40
30
20
10
0
1
Much
worse
2 3 4
Neutral
5 6 7
Much
better
0% 0% 0% 14% 16% 27% 43%
Figure 6: Overall productivity—as stated in surveys
50%
40
30
20
10
0
Lower than
usual
Low Neutral/
average
High Higher than
usual
0% 0% 36% 44% 20%
64% of trial participants claimed working from a flexible work centre
improved their productivity, while 36% stated their productivity
remained around the same. None of the participants stated working at
a flexible work centre reduced their productivity.
In all cases supervisors were very happy with their participants’
productivity throughout the trial.
Productivity increases were perceived on days working at the centre,
as well as the days working in the central office. This was due to higher
work motivation and energy derived from reduced travel.
Some participants suggested they worked harder in order to maintain
the privilege of the flexible work centre. This was supported by their
supervisors’ comments.
21. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
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Accommodation costs
Potential accommodation cost savings were discussed at length by
supervisor focus groups, with concern expressed that the use of
flexible work centres would mean doubling the cost of accommodation
due to the need to pay for a desk in the city, and a desk in a flexible
work centre. This was countered to some degree with the participants
expressing that, in order to keep their flexible work arrangement, they
would be prepared to ‘hot-desk’ in their CBD office. 76% of participants
stated they would be happy to ‘hot-desk’ and 12% would consider
doing so.
A surprising number of participants (75%) did not mind sharing
office space at the centres or in their main office. They did not view
personalised space as important. It was not clear whether this shift is
due to the use of more mobile computing (e.g. laptops, tablets, phones)
or the advantages of working close to home on a regular basis.
Figure 7: Share a desk for flexible work option
Maybe
Yes
No
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80%
Most commented that in order to give up their main desk they would
need to work from the flexible work centre more than one day a week.
The flexible work centres do provide the participants with the
experience of hot-desking, allowing them to see the advantages and
devise strategies to make a shared desk arrangement work for them.
Use of digital technologies and tools
Figure 8: Features of web-based applications used
0 20 40 60 80 100%
Sharing photos
Project management timelines
Video link up
Accessing networks for IT management
Accessing networks for data entry
Emails and longer communications
Short message communications
Co-editing documents
Sharing files
8%
5%
11%
30%
68%
89%
38%
27%
65%
22. 22
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
There was an increase in the use of digital communication by
80% of the participants as a result of the trial (shown in Figure 8).
Digital technologies were a key enabler of the trial and facilitated
the use of the flexible work centres. The technologies being used
were standardised and no unusual or innovative approaches to
communication were trialled.
3.4 Issues with using flexible work centres
A number of issues were recorded by participants working from flexible
work centres.
Remote supervision
There was a greater need to plan and prepare work for days at the
flexible work centre. In most cases this was not perceived as a
problem, but rather a positive way to develop work planning skills.
Having remote workers (from flexible work centres or home) created
difficulties in allocating ad hoc jobs which arose throughout the day.
Work sharing was more difficult when people were working remotely,
and a task could not be instantly allocated or managed.
Lack of face-to-face team interaction
Communicating with colleagues and managers who were working
remotely was not considered equivalent to face-to-face communication.
Supervisors felt one or two days of remote work was probably best,
and any more would diminish important office interactions and ‘water
cooler’ discussions.
Face-to-face workplace interactions were viewed as important for work
allocation and effective team building.
IT issues
Dependency on effective technology was critical.
Issues experienced with information and communications technology
included:
• constant connectivity—some participants were frequently
disconnected from the networks
• access to flexible work centre printers—some departments
restricted the installation of non-government approved software,
such as printer drivers, on government-owned computers and
tablets
One day is good, but
missing the chit chat
and what is going on in
the office, any more than
that, is a problem.
[Supervisor]
23. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
23
• lack of training in the use of digital platforms for team
connectivity—many areas did not have the latest technology
installed, and when they did, only part of the team had been
enabled by it or trained in its use.
Limited interaction with other workers
The flexible work centres did provide a new environment to mix with
government workers from other departments and organisations,
however, this interaction was not a major feature of working from a
flexible work centre in this trial.
It was more common for participants to interact with the other
government workers in the flexible work centres than with non-
government workers.
There was more socialising with non-government workers as the trial
progressed, and the participants had been in the centres over a longer
period of time. Few participants actively sought to network or chose to
attend networking functions held by the centres.
Team effects
There was resistance from colleagues who felt participants in the
flexible work centre trial were effectively getting a day a week off.
Feedback from participants in the later surveys and diaries suggested
these attitudes shifted over time.
Not all members of a team were deemed suitable for the trial, with
some members trusted to do remote work more than others. Trusted
members of the team appreciated the opportunity to work more
independently.
Developing this trust had benefits in terms of work outputs and worker
satisfaction.
[Participant]
I was really grateful to participate in this trial
and felt more loyal to my boss for trusting me
with this opportunity.
23
Make sure government
departments’ IT branches
are consulted regarding
ICT environments (i.e.
network security affecting
connecting to printers,
remote access functionality)
that can impact on user
experience/performance
before they offer places to
their staff.
[Participant]
24. 24
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
The key findings from the trial included:
• 64% of participants stated working from a flexible work centre
increased their productivity, 36% stated their productivity remained
the same. Participants also reported they were more productive on
days when they worked in their usual office.
• Productivity gains came from the greater motivation and energy
derived from less commuting and travel.
• The average time saved in travel was 72 minutes per day.
• 83% of participants stated their health and wellbeing had improved
through the use of the flexible work centre due to:
—— reduced tiredness and fatigue
—— increased time with family and for family commitments
—— increased exercise and recreational activities
—— participation in community activities.
• Participants saved around $30 per day, mostly in travel costs
(public transport or petrol).
• 80% of trial participants increased their use of digital technologies
as communications tools.
• 47% of participants in the trial were over 45 years old. Participants
were also mostly in administrative levels of AO6 and above.
• Supervisors saw the provision of an office/work environment
away from home-based distractions as the key advantage in their
workers teleworking from a flexible work centre. The fact their
teleworkers were located in a ‘place of work’ (as opposed to their
home or a café) generated greater trust in a telework arrangement.
Some supervisors were reassured their staff were in a place of work
between certain hours (e.g. 9.00 am – 5.00 pm).
• 76% of participants claimed they would be willing to give up a
dedicated desk (in exchange for a hot-desk) in their main office if
they were able to continue to work at a flexible work centre.
The key findings of the trial conclusively demonstrated the use of non-
government operated flexible work centres was appreciated and seen
to be a productive and convenient alternative work accommodation by
Queensland Government workers.
Flexible work centres can be viewed as a networked system, whereby
the value of one is increased with the presence of more nearby centres.
More centres creates a culture of flexible work within a region or
community.
4. Key findings from the trial
25. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
25
In this, the trial highlighted the importance of a three-pronged
approach to developing a culture of flexible mobile work, not just
within the government sector, but more broadly across the work
community. The three prongs of that approach are:
1. enabling technology (focused on mobility and digital connectivity)
2. business culture change (transitioning from the management of
teams in an office to virtual teams or projects)
3. activity-based work office spaces (in the flexible work centres and
the head offices of large companies and corporations).
It is likely that simultaneous training, upgrading of technology, and new
use of space are necessary for broader take-up and use of telework in
general, and more specifically the use of flexible work centres across
South East Queensland.
Figure 9: Elements to enable flexible work
Business
culture change
Enabling
technologies
Activity based
work office
spaces
26. 26
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
4.1 Enabling technology (focused on mobility and digital
connectivity).
It was a requirement for workers applying to be a participant in the trial
to be already equipped by their work areas with a mobile phone and
laptop computer/tablet. The limited availability of mobile equipment in
many areas of government may have had an impact on the numbers of
staff being able to express interest in the trial.
Many participants in the trial were not well trained or supported in the
newer technologies that enable mobile and flexible work. Participants
were given some training in programs such as Microsoft Lync during
the induction for the trial, however, many were not able to use the
platform because other members of their office teams were not using
the platform, and in some cases the low data rates (bandwidth) back to
the main office were restrictive.
Participants who were technologically equipped and enrolled in the
trial also encountered technology issues including:
• not being able to connect to the office at times due to platform drop-
outs
• not being able to use the printers in the flexible work centres due
to restrictions on downloading software on government equipment,
including printer drivers
• not being able to use dual screens or have access to modified
equipment necessary for their work.
It was clear that for broader take-up of flexible work centres as a
telework alternative, more staff needed to be enabled with access
to mobile technologies, and there needs to be access to training
resources for staff on using software that enables virtual teams and
interaction—both the mobile staff, staff remaining in the head office,
and in particular the supervisors of staff.
The other piece of enabling technology that was not part of the trial
was an online booking systems for desks at flexible work centres and
possibly central offices.
Even within the small community of workers in the trial, flexibility
of desks and days became an issue. Participants were allocated
a particular day/s a week to work at the centres, but changes in
timetables, the need to be in the central office for certain meetings,
changes to workloads and the need to take on other duties in the office
meant that flexibility to change days and times was critical to many
continuing in the trial.
27. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
27
A number of participants dropped out of the trial when their duties
changed, or they were promoted, and they were not able to negotiate
a change in the days they could work at the centres. At the end of the
trial, participants were able to access a shared, cloud-based, calendar
and negotiate changes in days with each other.
A central booking system which allows flexibility in desk bookings
appears to be an important feature of any future use of flexible work
centres, and would facilitate not only using one flexible work centre
near someone’s residence, but mobile work from a network of centres.
4.2 Business culture change (transitioning from the
management of teams in an office to virtual teams or
projects)
The Queensland Public Service has a very low telework rate, with
just 1.7% of staff reporting they teleworked as part of flexible work
measures in the Working for Queensland survey 2014. By contrast,
10% of workers in the Australian Public Service indicated, through the
worker census, they teleworked to some degree in 2013, down from
15% in 2012.
Immediate managers had been identified by the Public Service
Commission as the largest impediment to telework in the Queensland
Government prior to the flexible work centre trial. It was claimed
managers want staff in the office around them, especially in responsive
and high-pressured positions in the public service.
Immediate visibility and accessibility to staff is highly valued, and
arguments that telework increase productivity and staff wellbeing are
not strong enough to overcome the need for managers to have their
staff in their line-of-sight and at hand. There was also reportedly a
distrust of home-based work, with managers considering home-based
telework unproductive, or disrupted by home-based distractions.
Videoconferencing and cloud-based platforms that enable instant
messaging and immediate contact, document sharing and communal
editing programs, wi-fi and mobile devices are the latest technologies
to offer the ability for organisations to overcome distance between
workers and managers, and give new life to telework.
The flexible work centre trial showed that, even with these new tools,
trust was greater in workers who teleworked from another place of
work—such as a flexible work centre—than from home.
28. 28
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
As workload increased, however, managers sometimes called their staff
back into the office, or staff voluntarily decided to give up teleworking
from a flexible work centre to meet workplace demands.
In the Amsterdam model of smart work centre development, the City
of Amsterdam Government was said to have closed many buildings
on a Friday to force public service managers to learn how to manage a
responsive and productive virtual team. Aggressive intervention in the
management of culture was seen as necessary in order to break the
ingrained distrust of teleworkers, and to force managers to learn and
use the necessary digital tools to effectively manage remote teams.
Without incentives such as training, telework rates being part of
performance indicators, or top-down recognition for boosting telework,
it seems unlikely there will be change through bottom-up demand
for more flexible work, or use of flexible work centres. Business
culture change in the Queensland Public Service and beyond requires
leadership and training as part of an organisation-wide change
program.
4.3 Activity-based work office spaces (in the flexible work
centres and the head offices of large companies and
corporations)
The business case for organisations to shift to activity-based work,
telework, flexible work, and more broadly, distributed work, lies in their
ability to consolidate (and potentially close) expensive CBD office floor
space. As Queensland Government partners in the trial have pointed
out, it makes no commercial sense for departments to be paying for
two work spaces for their workers—one at the main office and one a few
days a week at a flexible work centre.
Commercial savings on space can only be made through flexible work
if space in the central office can be consolidated through hot-desking
and workers giving up their dedicated desk. The central office needs to
be transformed into more a fluid or agile space—hot-desks, meeting/
videoconference rooms, quiet areas and collaborative areas—already
common in the design of flexible work centres and co-working spaces.
29. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
29
The vast majority (76%) of participants in the flexible work centre trial
stated they would be willing to give up their dedicated desk in the
main office in exchange for the use of a flexible work centre a few days
a week. Consolidation of space within the main office would only be
possible, however, if enough workers were willing to relinquish their
desk for more mobility, and large areas of hot-desks were able to be
established with a ratio of 0.5–0.7 desks per person (instead of one
desk per person).
This may not suit all workers—many people feel part of an organisation
when given dedicated space. The potential trade of a dedicated desk
for greater mobility is yet to be tested in a broader context within
the Queensland Public Service, however, and may require whole-of-
government support to encourage business units within government
to utilise flexible work centres for their workers. There is likely to be
a transition period from dedicated desks to more fluid office spaces,
depending on the costs of refitting many buildings, and the level of
take-up of flexible work.
30. 30
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
5. Recommendations from the trial
Table 1: Recommendations
Recommendation from the trial Action from the recommendation
1. Allow participants continued access to
the use of flexible work centres and consider
extending the reach to other Queensland
Government workers through promotion and
education.
Participants and agencies will be encouraged to continue to use
flexible work centres under existing telework policies. The cost of
using the centres will be the responsibility of the relevant agency/
individual.
2. Investigate the potential of hot-desking
arrangements, as well as specialised desk
arrangements for workers with specific
ergonomic work station requirements.
The Workplace of the Future project by the Accommodation Office will
investigate the development of agile spaces and desks, including for
workers with specialist needs. Ergonomic needs are already included
in existing Accommodation Office policies.
Agile space is also being investigated for the 1 William Street building
due to be completed by the end of 2016.
3. Investigate potential extension of the flexible
work centre arrangements to capture other areas
of South East Queensland, such as Ipswich and
the Sunshine Coast.
The Department of Housing and Public Works will liaise with the
Public Service Commission to identify areas of highest need for
workers living in the commuter zones around work centres such as
the Brisbane CBD. This will be part of a distributed work project.
4. Provide information and training to managers
on the benefits and key criteria for potential
flexible work space participants.
The Public Service Commission intends to develop and implement
an education campaign to promote flexible work practices and work
spaces sector-wide, in sync with key features of a modern workforce.
In cultivating a flexible work culture aligned to Queensland Public
Service values, it would facilitate greater uptake of flexible work
centre arrangements, by articulating the value of working flexibly for
workers, leaders and the organisation. The program aims to include
practical tools, criteria for potential participants, and performance
indicators.
5. Provide information and advice to managers
on the selection process for flexible work
centres, including the use of appropriate
technologies.
In addition to the sector-wide education campaign to promote flexible
work practices and work spaces, the Public Service Commission aims
to equip HR professionals and managers with information about the
selection process for participants using flexible work centres.
6. Ensure managers have the capacity to
withdraw the flexible work arrangement if it
is not working out in terms of productivity,
interdepartmental communications or
occupational workplace safety.
The Public Service Commission’s approach is to equip managers with
the skills and resources to adapt and respond in a dynamic way to
any issues that arise from flexible work arrangements. Support and
guidance through an education campaign is intended to address
possible pitfalls in productivity, interdepartmental communications
and occupational safety. When all avenues of finding solutions are
exhausted, managers have the capacity to withdraw from the flexible
work arrangement.
7. Provide information and training for teams on
interacting with flexible workers.
The Public Service Commission contributes to an approach for
growing maturity in virtual collaboration skills for flexible work centre
participants, their managers, and teams.
31. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
31
Recommendation from the trial Action from the recommendation
8. Allow for a flexible selection of days that
can change as required, allowing for meetings,
sick leave and personal arrangements (such as
child care, medical appointments, dependents’
support).
Online, cloud-based booking systems will be investigated to ensure
that there is flexibility in booking, seats are only booked for days
which they are to be used, and there is a tool to view vacancy rates at
work centres across South East Queensland.
9. Improve technological support and protocols
around printing and access to computer files and
systems off-site/online, to allow consistent and
reliable access for flexible workers.
Technological support is constantly being upgraded and supported
through the chief information office of each department.
10. Allow for seamless flexible work and
connections through effective IT systems.
As for recommendation 9.
11. Further extension of the trial to better
understand the value proposition for the
Queensland Government in terms of worker
and team productivity, and innovation from
collaboration, and the development of a scalable
casual accommodation management system.
The trial has not been extended, and the seats will no longer
be subsidised through the Department of Science, Information
Technology and Innovation, however, managers and workers across
government will be encouraged to use flexible work centres through
promotion of the results of the trial.
12. Investigate the value of Queensland
Government workers building networks with
other flexible workers in the centres.
As for recommendation 7.
32. 32
Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation
6. Conclusions
The drivers for the development of flexible work centres in Queensland
are broader than those affecting any one department within the
Queensland Government. They relate to the changing nature of work
and the role digital technologies play in facilitating activity-based
work.
Nevertheless, the drivers for change within organisations often come
from small operational units, and proving the business case for those
units is necessary for change to occur. This trial has demonstrated the
benefits of flexible work centres to Queensland Government workers,
and thus their employers.
A number of the trial participants will continue to work at the two
flexible work centres at Redcliffe and Southport post the trial, in work
spaces funded by their departments.
In addressing the aims, the trial demonstrated:
• A workplace shift to greater levels of telework will need a three-
pronged approach:
—— enabling technology (refer Figure 9, p. 25) to facilitate
widespread take-up of newer mobile and enabling digital
technologies
—— business culture change to reform business and workplace
culture, especially in the development of management skills for
virtual teams and activity-based work
—— activity-based work office spaces to convert floor plans and the
use of space to enable greater central office space consolidation
and activity-based work. Most trial participants (88%) said they
may give up their dedicated desk in the central office for the
option to work at a flexible work centre.
These learnings apply to public and private organisations with large
CBD premises.
I have really enjoyed participating in this program and I hope it continues to
grow. This provides a much-needed alternative to working in Brisbane five days
per week. The benefits I have experienced whilst in this program have been
numerous, from focusing my energy on the job as opposed to travel, developing
new professional links both within the public service and the private sector with
other companies using Co SPACES, and improved productivity from fewer daily
workplace interruptions.
[Participant]
32
33. Flexible work centre trial Queensland Government report
33
• Public servants can work side-by-side with non-public servants
in privately operated work centres in commuter zones outside the
Brisbane CBD. This can improve the business model for flexible
work centres through assured income, and potentially encourage
further investment in privately owned and operated facilities.
Once operating, the centres provide facilities for anyone seeking
co-working support in that particular locale (such as people seeking
casual and flexible work accommodation in startup ventures and
freelance work).
• Collaboration between workers did not appear to be a strong feature
at the flexible work centres. This may be due to the limited time of
the trial (12 months) and the general nature of public service work.
• Digital and mobile technologies can transform workplaces, however,
training with all the members of a work team is needed for digital
tools to operate effectively.
• Managers of workers trusted teleworkers to a greater degree when
they worked from a dedicated workplace, such as a flexible work
centre.
• Trial participants reported higher levels of productivity, wellbeing,
use of digital technologies and support for the local community
when given the option to work at a flexible work centre.
The development and use of a network of flexible work centres is likely
to have whole-of-organisation, as well as whole-of-region, benefits to
work–life balance and health of residents, urban liveability and the
economy of South East Queensland. The measurement of these broader
benefits was outside the scope of this trial.
With the south-east corner of Queensland growing strongly in
population, and containing magnificent lifestyle regions north, south
and west of the Brisbane CBD, it seems logical to explore ways to
utilise enabling digital technologies to retain and use skilled staff living
outside the adjacent metropolitan areas.
The Queensland Government Accommodation Office and the Public
Service Commission will use the empirical data from this trial to
develop plans and policies going forward, including a distributed work
model, the Workplace of the Future, and the strategic plans for the
Queensland Government workforce.
