Aussies rage at cost of travelling to work as fuel prices skyrocket
The working from home debate is heating up amid the fuel crisis, with fed-up Aussies revealing how much it is really costing them to go to work right now.
As fuel prices continue to rise, so are the tempers of cashed-strapped Aussies, with multiple people claiming the money they make daily at their jobs is dwindling due to the cost of driving to work.
On Monday, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese announced he would be temporarily halving the fuel excise, reducing the cost by 26.3 cents per litre, in a bid to ease the growing pressure on Aussie road users.
The announcement came following a national cabinet meeting, though there was no news of other measures that were reportedly up for discussion, such as encouraging voluntary work from home where sensible.
Now, it seems those who are having to travel to work by car are getting increasingly fed up with the rising costs.
A post on this exact topic by one TikTok user, Samantha, went viral after clearly hitting a nerve with Aussies.
“So basically we are now all working just to put petrol/diesel in our vehicles to just get to work,” she wrote on the clip.
More: Good news for Australians: Anthony Albanese is considering reducing fuel taxes.
More: Karl Stefanovic calls Anthony Albanese a “liar” as Australia faces severe fuel shortages
The poster also noted that the cost of groceries is increasing as well, suggesting that we should “all just quit our jobs”, not drive anywhere and then the government can “pay us to stay TF home”.
The video has since gained more than 52,000 views and sparked dozens of comments from people sharing their own struggles as a result of the fuel crisis.
“My car isn’t fuel efficient (commodore VE6) and it takes me 35 mins to drive to and from work. I’m not allowed to take public transport as I’m a support worker and having my car is a requirement. Dreading the next few weeks,” one person said.
“My partner works 2.5hrs from home. So he’s staying there in a caravan park because it’s cheaper. We see each other on weekends,” another claimed.
One rural worker who has to drive one hour to get into work, said they were “literally working to put fuel in my car”.
Another person shared that, if the situation doesn’t improve soon, she and her partner have agreed to move in with her parents because it is closer to where they work.
Pressure mounts as more countries move to WFH
The world’s energy watchdog, the International Energy Agency, issued 10 recommendations in response to the global oil shock, which included “work from home where possible” at the top of the list.
In Pakistan, the government has ordered 50 per cent of its public sector employees to work remotely, along with implementing a four-day work week.
Vietnam, Thailand, the Philippines and Sri Lanka are all either calling for people to work from home or have implemented a four-day work week.
While Energy Minister Chris Bowen has previously said working remotely where possible was a “sensible thing to do”, Australia hasn’t taken the step of directly asking people to work remotely if they can.
Despite this, leadership specialist Graeme Cowan told news.com.au that companies would be “crazy” to object to employees working from home during this crisis.
“It tells employees that we don’t trust you – and we don’t care about your rising fuel costs. Great leaders understand that how they respond in moments of crisis reveals far more about them – than their policies ever will,” the Great Leaders Care author said.
He said that once fuel prices return to normal levels then employers can switch back to the “pre-crisis” way of operating.
But it seems that this is not advice many companies are choosing to heed, with one worker claiming their employer is actually doing the opposite.
In a recent post to the Auscorp Reddit page, a user revealed that their company had a flexible work arrangement but, from next week, a new in-office requirement was being enforced.
“Feels like really poor timing with the fuel shortage, but they’ve said that the fuel shortage is irrelevant since the office is close to public transport,” the post read.
More: PM Anthony Albanese has banned Australians from stockpiling fuel
The user also claimed the company said no extras or concessions for travel, such as a fuel supplement, would be offered to staff.
They asked for advice on a “reasonable” way to possibly sway this decision.
“Rock up an hour late and blame public transport they forced you on to, then leave early so you don’t miss your bus,” one person suggested, while another joked they should “carpool with your boss”.
One person said any kind of work from home directive needs to come from the government, as companies can’t be expected to “do anything for the worker that isn’t profitable – regardless of how much better it is for everyone”.
Another added: “Time to find a new job. Any business that pushes that at this time doesn’t care at all about their staff.”
One commenter revealed their employer had taken a completely different approach to the situation.
“My company has allowed up to 3 days WFH and we’re working out a way to support our essential staff with fuel costs (currently reviewing fuel cards or fuel allowances). But our company actually cares about people,” they claimed.