If you have become accustomed to avoiding a crowded train in the morning and starting work on your computer over coffee, or even having time to collect your children from school in the afternoon, this new policy may be highly relevant to you.
If you work in Victoria and your role can be performed from home, working from home 2 days per week may in future cease to be a benefit granted by your employer and become a right conferred by law.
Will 2 days of WFH per week be protected by law?
According to information published by the Victorian Government:
✔ Employees whose roles can be performed from home will have a right to 2 days of WFH per week
✔ Full-time, part-time and eligible long-term Casual employees will be covered
✔ Small businesses with fewer than 15 employees will receive an additional transition period, with commencement expected on 1 July 2027
✔ Disputes between an employer and employee may be referred to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission (VEOHRC) for mediation
✔ If mediation fails, the matter may then be referred to VCAT for determination
In other words, whether a person can work from home will no longer be determined entirely by the employer alone; there will be a clear legal pathway through which employees can assert their rights.
Why is the Victorian Government pursuing this reform?
The Victorian Government’s stated reason is straightforward:
working from home has genuinely changed many people’s lives.
Official figures show:
more than one-third of Victorian employees regularly work from home;
approximately 60% of employees in professional roles use WFH arrangements;
each employee saves an average of approximately A$110 per week in expenses;
annual savings exceed A$5300;
commuting time is reduced by an average of more than 3 hours per week;
after the pandemic, Victoria’s labour-force participation rate was 4.4% higher than before the pandemic.
For many families, particularly those with children, working from home offers more than convenience: it means lower living costs, more flexible childcare arrangements and a better work–life balance.
Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said:
“Working from home works for families. It saves time and money, and enables more parents to enter the workforce.”
But businesses are not convinced
However, the policy is not without controversy.
The Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry publicly opposed it.
Many businesses believe that:
additional employment regulations will only increase operating costs;
more positions may be outsourced overseas;
some industries simply cannot support working from home;
it may create a double standard between “office employees” and “frontline employees”.
Acting CEO Amelia Bitsis said:
Good employers are already willing to offer flexible working arrangements, but every business is different and uniform legislation should not compel all businesses to apply the same standard.
Employees in construction, hospitality, retail, logistics, healthcare and similar industries must perform their work on site, so many people also question whether this policy is genuinely fair.
Will it affect the rest of Australia?
Although the bill currently applies only to Victoria, its symbolic significance is considerable.
Over the past few years, Australian businesses have continued encouraging employees to Return to Office.
At the same time, more employees regard working from home as part of their employment conditions.
Victoria is now the first to attempt to protect WFH rights through legislation, and this may well become a model for other state governments.
If implementation is ultimately successful, it will be worth watching whether similar discussions arise in New South Wales, Queensland or even at the federal level.