Source : Perth Now news
Regular part-time and casual workers are set to be covered by contentious state work from home laws.
The Victorian Labor government will introduce a bill to state parliament on Tuesday to legislate a right for all public and private sector employees to work from home two days a week if they reasonably can.
The laws, which were first announced in August, will cover regular casual and part-time workers, the government has revealed.
Guidance will be released before the mandate takes effect from September 1 on how pro-rata entitlements will work.
“Work from home works for families, it saves time and money and it gets more parents working,” Premier Jacinta Allan said.
“That’s why we’re protecting work from home in law.”
Small businesses will be roped into the legislation but will not have to apply it until mid-2027 so they have more time to get their HR policies and procedures in order.
Industrial Relations Minister Jaclyn Symes has previously acknowledged legal questions could arise from the mandate, with Australia’s constitution dictating Commonwealth law supersedes state law when they conflict.
The government’s advice was legislating through the Equal Opportunity Act was “the avenue with the least risk” to withstand constitutional challenge, Ms Symes said in March.
A government-initiated survey found 74 per cent of employees considered working from home “extremely important”.
Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Sally Curtain conceded the move was “incredibly popular” but argued it wasn’t the right thing to do.
“There is no compelling case, there is no problem to solve in legislating work from home,” she told reporters on Friday.
“We simply don’t need it.”
The chamber is pushing for a legislative impact statement on the policy to gauge its long-term implications.
“It will not enhance productivity, it will not grow our innovation in this state and it will not ensure our competitiveness,” Ms Curtain said.
The state coalition has been reluctant to lock in a position on writing work from home into law without viewing the government’s legislation.
With the introduction of the bill, Opposition Leader Jess Wilson will soon have to lay down her cards as the November state election draws closer.
