The Hidden Costs of Forced Return-to-Office: More Than Just Childcare Profits
The latest statements from Peter Dutton about forcing public servants back into offices full-time have left me seething. Not just because it’s a transparently cynical move, but because it reveals so much about the disconnect between wealthy politicians and the reality of working families.
Looking at the childcare situation alone paints a grim picture. Parents in my area are paying upwards of $190 per day for childcare in the CBD. That’s not a typo - we’re talking about costs that rival or exceed many families’ rent or mortgage payments. And what’s particularly galling is how these massive childcare companies are gaming the system, raising prices the moment government subsidies increase, effectively pocketing support meant for struggling families.
Working from home has been a revelation for so many parents. Instead of spending hours commuting and leaving children in care from dawn till dusk, they can drop off and pick up their kids with minimal disruption to their workday. It’s better for families, better for children’s wellbeing, and - despite what some politicians might claim - better for productivity.
The narrative that forcing parents (particularly mothers) back into offices is somehow about “workplace culture” or “collaboration” is complete nonsense. It’s about protecting commercial real estate interests and, in this case, propping up the profitable childcare empire of political mates. The fact that many of these centres are owned through complex family trust arrangements to dodge regulatory scrutiny just adds another layer of cynicism to the whole situation.
This push against flexible work arrangements isn’t just about childcare - it’s part of a broader attempt to roll back the positive changes we’ve seen in work-life balance over the past few years. The same politicians who claim to care about cost of living pressures are actively trying to force policies that would increase expenses for working families through additional childcare costs, commuting expenses, and lost time.
The simple truth is that flexible work arrangements aren’t just some pandemic-era concession - they’re a genuine improvement in how we organize our working lives. They reduce traffic congestion, decrease environmental impact, and allow people to be both productive employees and present parents. Any politician trying to wind that back is either woefully out of touch or actively serving interests that don’t align with ordinary working families.
Perhaps instead of forcing parents into arrangements that benefit wealthy childcare centre owners, we should be looking at ways to make childcare more affordable and accessible while preserving the flexibility that’s helped so many families thrive. But I suspect that’s not the kind of policy discussion certain politicians are interested in having.