September 19, 2022 — 5.00am

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More than 40 years ago, Dolly Parton, Jane Fonda and Lily Tomlin starred in what was at the time a radical feminist revenge hit, 9 to 5, about three women who turn the tables on their misogynist boss and discriminatory workplace. It’s now a hit musical touring Australia. Some of their revolutionary changes include equal pay, job sharing, and an office creche.

We may have come far since, but beyond holding your boss to ransom like Dolly and her comrades did, there is still no recourse in Australia if an employer refuses an employee’s request for flexible work. This gap in legal protection has become particularly pronounced as COVID has transformed the way we view working from home and workplace flexibility.

Forced by necessity during the pandemic, employers in some industries, particularly professional services, health and even education, realised work could be done remotely and without attendance in the office. Some workplaces were transformed overnight where entire workforces were moved home. It didn’t matter whether you wanted to work from home or not; by and large, you had no choice. It was a complete flip of the orthodoxy that had prevailed that workers wanting to work from home needed to make a special request.

Of course, some workers still had to attend work and indeed, many did so, putting their health at risk for others. However, large swathes of the workforce did dramatically change...

Read Full Story: https://www.smh.com.au/national/workplace-laws-are-holding-employees-back-on-...