Back to hybrid? Rising petrol prices reshape workplace strategy

Stephen Grootes speaks to Tony Healy, labour consultant at Icon Labour Consultants about the legal and practical realities of remote and hybrid work as rising fuel and energy costs put pressure on both employers and employees.

Listen to the interview in the audio player below.

Rising fuel and energy costs are quietly reshaping how South Africans think about work—and forcing employers to revisit decisions many believed were settled after the pandemic.

With petrol prices climbing above R22 per litre and daily commuting costs skyrocketing as a result, the financial strain on workers is becoming difficult to ignore.

Against this backdrop, remote and hybrid work are re-emerging, not as lifestyle perks, but as economic necessities.

According to labour consultant Tony Healy, the shift raises important legal and practical questions for employers.

Speaking to Stephen Grootes on The Money Show, Healy says there are many employers who do not encourage a work from home scenario.

"Employers can be reluctant when it comes to these hybrid or work from home arrangements, because their experience was frequently after the pandemic trying to get employees back into the office."

- Tony Healy, labour consultant - Icon Labour Consultants

"As always with labour relations, procedure is important and these things need to be conformed in writing as being temporary."

- Tony Healy, labour consultant - Icon Labour Consultants

"It's far more optimal to have an employee at work, and the experience has been, after the pandemic when you extend that opportunity to work from home, getting employees to come back into the office can be arduous."

- Tony Healy, labour consultant - Icon Labour Consultants

Scroll to the top of the article to listen to the full interview.