New premier Ben Carroll backs away from tipped work-from-home changes, giving business only a minor set-up cost concession
New Victorian premier Ben Carroll has confirmed the state's contentious work-from-home (WFH) laws will proceed largely unchanged, resisting weeks of pressure from business groups to unwind the reforms following his rise to the top job. The one concession employers have secured is that they will no longer be required to cover employees' remote set-up costs.
The outcome will surprise many in the HR sector. As HRD Australia reported when Carroll first flagged a rewrite of the bill, business groups had been pushing for exemptions, including the removal of employer set-up cost obligations and changes to the "stacking" clause that lets employees with existing flexible arrangements claim extra WFH days. Carroll had told business leaders he heard their concerns; many assumed that meant substantive change was coming.
Instead, Carroll told The Australian Financial Review he remains committed to "sticking to the promise" the government made on legislating a right to work from home at least two days a week, while remaining open to amendments as the bill moves through the upper house.
The substance of the legislation is untouched. Eligible Victorian employees – including casual and part-time workers on a pro rata basis – will retain the right to request two remote working days a week where their role can "reasonably" be performed...
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