Victorian employees who can perform their duties remotely will be granted a legal right to work from home for at least two days a week under proposed reforms announced by the Victorian Government.
The changes represent the first major update to the government’s proposed work from home laws and will apply regardless of the size of the employer. The reform is aimed at ensuring small business employees have the same access to flexible arrangements as those working for large corporations.
More than 1.3 million Victorians are employed in small businesses, where flexible work arrangements are less common. While not every role can be carried out remotely, the government says workers who are able to work from home should have equal rights, whether they are employed by a small firm or a major bank.
The policy follows extensive consultation, including the largest survey conducted by the Victorian Government, which received 37,485 responses. Three quarters of employees described the right to work from home as extremely important. More than 3,200 respondents said they did not feel comfortable asking their employer for remote work. Among those whose jobs could be performed from home but who currently do not do so, most had requested it and were refused.
Government figures show that more than a third of workers, including 60 per cent of professionals, now regularly work from home. The arrangement is estimated to save households an average of $110 per week, or $5,308 per year, while reducing commuting time by more than three hours a week on average. Workforce participation in Victoria is reported to be 4.4 per cent higher than before the pandemic.
The government argues that flexible work arrangements ease cost-of-living pressures, reduce congestion and support greater workforce participation, particularly among parents. It has also indicated that without legislative protection, remote work arrangements could be scaled back.
Premier Jacinta Allan said the reforms are designed to deliver fairness for workers across the state. Minister for Industrial Relations Jaclyn Symes said working from home reduces costs without harming productivity, noting that many employees already use former commuting time to undertake work.
The government intends to enshrine the right to work from home in law, positioning Victoria as the first jurisdiction to legislate such protections.
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