Abstract The COVID‐19 pandemic compelled large sections of the workforce out of their workplaces and into their homes to work. Many commentators suggest this has forever changed how and where we work. This article analyses how Australia's biggest employers – state and federal governments – approached the transitions to working from home, and back into regular workplaces. It considers the timing of policy responses to the pandemic as one indicator of resistance to, or acceptance of, widespread working from home. The article also demonstrates previous resistance to working from home for public servants, and questions widespread conjecture that it will become the ‘new normal’.

中文翻译：

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在家工作会成为公共部门的“新常态”吗？

摘要 COVID-19 大流行迫使大部分劳动力离开工作场所，回到家中工作。许多评论员表示，这已经永远改变了我们的工作方式和地点。本文分析了澳大利亚最大的雇主——州政府和联邦政府——如何过渡到在家工作和回到正常工作场所。它认为应对大流行的政策时机是抵制或接受广泛在家工作的一个指标。这篇文章还展示了以前公务员对在家工作的抵制，并对人们普遍认为它将成为“新常态”的猜测提出质疑。