Fuel price surge pushes Sydney agency to reintroduce weekly WFH day

A Sydney-based SEO agency has introduced a mandatory weekly work-from-home day as fuel prices surge, in a move that echoes early pandemic-era workplace shifts.

UR Digital said it will require its 11 staff to work from home one day a week, with employees able to choose which day. The policy was introduced immediately as petrol prices climbed from around $1.50 to close to $3.00 per litre in recent weeks.

Founder Pulkit Agrawal told Marketing-Interactive the decision was driven by the rising cost of getting to work, particularly for staff commuting longer distances.

“I had a staff member tell me it cost $130 to fill a tank just to come to work. This is unacceptable. It does not pass the pub test,” Agrawal said.

The agency estimates staff could save between $35 and $50 a week by cutting one day of commuting, easing what Agrawal described as growing financial strain.

“If we can save staff just $50 a week in fuel costs, for some people that is a grocery bill. I'm just trying to do my bit,” he said.

Agrawal said early feedback from staff has been positive, with the change reducing both financial and mental pressure linked to rising fuel costs.

“For our staff who live further from the CBD or rely on toll roads, costs add up quickly,” he said.

“By working from home one day a week, we are effectively putting around $1,680–$1,820 back into an employee's pocket annually.”

The move comes as fuel prices become a growing talking point across households and workplaces, with concerns around supply pressures and the potential for rationing measures.

While it remains an isolated move, the decision raises questions about whether rising cost-of-living pressures could begin influencing workplace policies again, particularly in sectors where remote work remains viable.