The largest workforce in the country remains unclear whether they must stop working from home and return to their offices permanently after department heads appeared to backtrack on an order from the premier.
NSW Premier Chris Minns described a return to face-to-face work as "a long time coming" with work-from-home provisions a thing of the past.
"We're years from the pandemic, we're years from these work-from-home provisions (that) have been brought into place," he told reporters on Tuesday.
Mr Minns said the new directive was about "building up a culture in the public service that's about teamwork, a common and shared sense of purpose, as well as mentoring the next generation of young public servants."
The comments appeared to take a stronger view than a memo circulated from his department on Monday.
In it, the direction said the "starting position is that work is principally done in an approved workplace in NSW".
“Arrangements to work from home on some occasions must take into consideration the wider needs of departments, agencies, the community and stakeholders,” it read.
The premier's department said it was not "mandating a particular pattern of attendance" but said work should be mainly completed in an "approved workplace".
It added workers needed to stop taking working from home for granted or as “unlimited”.
The memo prompted the two biggest NSW government departments - NSW Health and Transport for NSW - to reassure staff they did not need to change working from home arrangements in correspondence seemingly odds with the premier.
Ministry of Health Deputy secretary of people, culture and governance Phil Minns noted flexible work arrangements would remain unchanged, in an email sent to NSW Health staff on Monday afternoon.
"The updated advice does not mandate any particular pattern of attendance, but it is a starting position that work is principally done in an approved workplace in NSW," Mr Minns, who is the premier's uncle, wrote.
"We recognise flexible arrangements help attract and retain talented people, particularly with career responsibilities and other commitments outside of work."
Transport Secretary Josh Murray similarly told staff it would be business as usual and a working group would be established to “examine the new requirements”.
“For our people currently hybrid working, please continue as usual," he said in email sent on Tuesday morning.
A NSW government spokesperson told AAP on Tuesday afternoon staff had been advised of the new memorandum.
"NSW Health will implement the new memorandum like all NSW government agencies," the spokesperson said.
Mr Murray confirmed his department was "committed to implementing these changes".
The Public Service Association said many of its members did not have the option to work from home but had always fought for flexible working arrangements where it could.
"I don't think anyone in their right mind thinks that we're ever going to return to pre-pandemic ways of work, that's just a thing of the past," general secretary Stewart Little said.
