While most Australian employees support flexible work arrangements, a growing number of Australians working from home are reportedly dissatisfied with having to cover expenses that would have previously been covered by their employers, such as pantry items, electricity, printing and copying, and other office consumables.
According to a poll done earlier this week by research firm , 53% of Australian employees thought they had incurred excessive expenditures that would have been reimbursed by their company if they had worked onsite. According to the poll, which included 2,000 employees, respondents reported cost increases in areas such as acquiring home office equipment (37%), purchasing or updating technological devices (35%), and increased internet or data charges (34%).
According to Mark McCrindle, the survey’s chief social researcher, anger over work costs is widespread among many Australian employees since some of the expenses may appear “too small,” “hard to estimate to include on a tax return,” and “too menial to ask their employer to pay for.” McCrindle determined that the costs are borne by the workforce.
While there has been a significant permanent rise in employees claiming deductions for working from home expenditures, Mark Chapman, H&R Block Director of Tax Communication, has stated that not everything may be claimed. “Realistically, employers should reimburse employees for those costs, but typically they don’t, therefore employees’ only way of getting relief for those items is through the tax system,” he went on to say.
According to ABC News, with over 55% of Australians working remotely entirely or partially, more employees are incurring work-related expenditures. However, McCrindle’s research revealed that savings may be achieved from these new employment arrangements in areas such as transportation, meals, clothes, and childcare.
