The state government plans to make working from home a legal right.
Premier Jacinta Allan announced the government will introduce legislation to protect the ability of an employee to work from home.
Under this proposed law, if you can reasonably do your job from home, you will have the right to do so for at least two days a week – public sector or private sector.
“Work from home works for families and it’s good for the economy,” Ms Allan said.
“Not everyone can work from home, but everyone can benefit.”
Businesses and workers already utilise working from home, with over a third of Australian workers regularly working from home.
“Work from home saves families money, means more people are in the workforce – and it even cuts congestion,” Industrial Relations Minister Jaclyn Symes said.
“More than a third of Australians are working from home regularly, including more than 60 per cent of professionals – and the data says they are more productive, benefiting businesses and the economy.”
According to the state government, it saves Australians on average $110 a week or $5308 every year, as well as cut congestion, with Victorians spending less times commuting and saving over three hours on average per week.
Work from home supports women with children, carers and people with a disability to work.
The state government said that the government is acting on enshrining work from home to combat the amount of workers who have been denied reasonable requests to work from home, to ensure this will be a right everyone’s entitled to.
The government will now undertake consultation led by the Department of Premier and Cabinet to consider the types of businesses and the size of businesses that will be covered by this scheme, as well as the definition of remote work and who is able to do it.
Consultation will focus on ensuring the law reflects the real-world experience of working from home: what’s fair, what’s practical, and what’s already working in many workplaces today.
Following consultation, the state government will introduce and pass this legislation next year, with several legislative options available.
