Victoria introduces work-from-home bill

Victoria’s Labor government has introduced legislation that would give eligible workers a legal right to work from home for at least two days a week, setting up a major debate over flexibility, productivity and business regulation.

The bill would make Victoria the first Australian state to legislate a general right to work from home, provided the job can be done remotely. The proposed entitlement would be written into the Equal Opportunity Act.

What the bill proposes

The legislation would cover full-time, part-time and regular casual workers. Under the plan, the right would apply only where the nature of the job allows remote work.

The government says the law would begin on September 1, 2026. For businesses with fewer than 15 employees, compliance would be delayed until July 1, 2027.

The bill would also create a formal dispute pathway. Complaints would first go to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, and if conciliation failed, the matter could move to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

Why Labor is backing it

Premier Jacinta Allan has framed the policy as a way to protect existing working-from-home arrangements and help families save time and money.

The government is presenting the change as a response to the way many jobs now operate, arguing that workers who do not need to be in the office every day should not lose access to flexible arrangements.

The proposal also places Victoria at the centre of a broader political fight over cost of living, productivity and the level of regulation facing employers.

Business backlash

The bill has drawn immediate criticism from business groups, including the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Opponents say the proposal adds red tape and creates new compliance burdens for employers. They have also questioned how the entitlement would work in practice, especially for smaller businesses and mixed-duty roles.

There are early warnings that the law could face legal or constitutional challenge if it is pushed through in its current form.

What happens next

The bill now moves into parliament, where the upper house could become the key test of whether the government can pass it unchanged.

Further debate is expected over how pro-rata rights would apply to part-time and casual workers, how remote-work eligibility will be interpreted in practice, and whether the dispute process will be workable once complaints begin.

Victoria’s move has already triggered a wider national conversation about whether similar rights could spread beyond the state if the law survives parliament and any challenge.