As part of its plan to enshrine the right to work from home in law, the Allan Labor Government is encouraging Victorians to have their say at engage.vic.gov.au/wfh(opens in a new window).
Premier Jacinta Allan and Minister for Industrial Relations Jaclyn Symes today opened consultation to all Victorians ahead of legislation being introduced to the Parliament next year.
The consultation brings together workers and employers alike to ensure the proposed laws reflect the real-world experience of working from home: what’s fair, what’s practical, and what’s already working.
Under the proposed laws, if you can reasonably do your job from home, you will have the right to do so for at least two days a week, whether you work in the public sector or private sector.
Consultation won’t determine whether working from home should be a right – we already know it should be. This is about making sure the rules are appropriate.
As part of the consultation, the Government will consider the types of businesses and the size of businesses that will be covered by the proposed law, as well as the definition of remote work, and who is able to do it.
The Government is launching two consultation streams:
- Opening today is an online survey through Engage Victoria. Any employee or employer can participate in this survey. To have your say, visit engage.vic.gov.au/wfh(opens in a new window).
- Roundtable discussions with industry will also be held from September 2025. Stakeholders, peak bodies and unions can register their interest for the roundtable consultations at engage.vic.gov.au/wfh(opens in a new window).
Survey data will reveal what Victorians think about working from home – including whether employees have ever been denied a request to work from home, and whether they still feel unable to ask for it in their workforce.
Working from home works for families and it’s good for the economy.
It’s popular. Flexible working arrangements are utilised by workers and businesses alike, with more than a third of Australian workers – including 60 per cent of professionals – regularly working from home.
It saves families money. It saves Australians on average $110 a week or $5,308 every year. That’s more money back in the pockets of hardworking Victorians at a time when every dollar makes a difference.
Working from home gets more people working. It supports women with children, carers and people with a disability to work – and it’s better for business with workforce participation 4.4 per cent higher than before the pandemic.
It cuts congestion. Victorians are now spending less time commuting, saving more than three hours in their week on average. That’s three fewer hours sitting in traffic and three more hours back in your life.