Victorian workers could soon have a legal right to work from home. The Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill, introduced by the state government, would let employees who can reasonably do their job remotely spend two days a week working from home, with the change due to take effect from 1 September 2026.
The bill passed its first reading in the Legislative Assembly on 16 June and is now at its second reading — meaning it is still before Parliament rather than law. If it passes, the right would be enshrined by amending the Equal Opportunity Act and would apply regardless of how large or small the employer is.
The right is not absolute. Workers get it only where they can reasonably perform their role from home, and an employer can push back where that is not reasonable — for instance where a job's inherent requirements demand regular attendance, where remote work would cause a significant drop in productivity, or where it would raise concerns about safety, supervision, training or customer service.
Where it does apply, employers would have to cover the reasonable costs of the arrangement, including essential equipment such as hardware and software and secure access to company systems. The entitlement covers full-time, part-time and casual staff — pro rata for part-timers and casuals — though probationary employees, apprentices, interns, gig workers and irregular casuals are excluded.
Small businesses get more time: for workplaces with fewer than 15 employees, the right would not start until 1 July 2027. Where disagreements arise, they would first go to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission for conciliation, and on to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal if that fails.
The government has framed the change around households. "Work from home works for families, because it saves time and money and it gets more parents working," Premier Jacinta Allan said. The Minister for Industrial Relations, Jaclyn Symes, cast it in sharper political terms: "Enshrining this right in law means no boss or Liberal can take it away from our workers."
For employers, the practical work starts now. Business groups including the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry have been urging members to review which roles can be done remotely, update policies and train managers before the September start. Legal advisers have made the same point: with a formal dispute pathway attached, the difference between a "reasonable" refusal and one that crosses the line will be tested case by case.
