Major sign WFH could change forever in Australia - here's how it will affect you

• A review is looking at making WFH an Aussie right 
• It comes after law passed allowing workers to ignore boss after hours   
• READ MORE: What are your rights if your boss asks you back to the office?

Working from home could soon become a legal right for millions of Aussies around the country.

The Fair Work Commission is looking into making working from home (WFH) a legal entitlement which could impact 2.2m Aussies on award wages.

The review’s findings and recommendations will then be presented to the federal government, who will take the reforms under consideration.

The government will then decide if they will make any changes to the legislation and take them to parliament.

According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, about 37 per cent of Aussies regularly work from home, a figure that is slightly down from 2022.

If working from home is legislated, it will impact 2.2m Australians on award wages (pictured stock image of a home office)

Currently, an Aussie can only request to work from home under certain circumstances. However, they need to have worked in their job for at least 12 months (pictured stock image of a zoom work call)

Australian employees do not currently have a general right or legal entitlement to work from home.

However, workers can make a request to their employer under certain conditions – but only if they have worked for their boss for a minimum of 12 months.

If WFH were to become a new workplace law, it would most likely anger business groups who are against the federal government’s latest workplace reforms.

The review comes just one month after new Australian workplace laws were passed which allow workers to disconnect from the workplace.

Under that new law, Aussie workers are allowed to ignore calls and texts after hours from their bosses and colleagues.

According to research data from the Melbourne Institute, the majority of Australian workers would like the right to WFH at least some of the time.

Sixty per cent of workers were happy with the flexibility of a hybrid work arrangement – which is a mix of working from home and in the office.

Fair Work released a discussion paper in January presenting evidence remote work did not negatively impact overall productivity.

Fair Work also found WFH gave carers and parents more time to juggle home and work demands.

Goodbye rat race? 60 per cent of workers said they are happy with hybrid working. The flexibility is also beneficial for carers and parents who can better balance their responsibilities (pictured stock image of peak commuter time in Sydney)

A Fair Work report pointed out the benefits of working from home, but did warn it was more difficult for employees to have ‘spontaneous collaboration’  (pictured stock image)

However, the paper did raise that remote working presented challenges to employers, such as making it more difficult for bosses to carry out mentoring.

It also made it harder for workers to have ‘spontaneous collaboration’ with each other.

‘Improved flexibility as to when and where people work may also create ambiguity as to when workers can disconnect from work, which can impact on wellbeing,’ the discussion paper read.

Liberal Senator James Paterson believes it should be up to the employer and worker to decide if an employee works from home on a full-time basis.

‘For employers and employees to work together, there are some types of work where working from home works really well for both the business and employees – and not the type of work that because of the nature of it is inherent that you turn up to the office,’ he said.

‘And really, that shouldn’t be up to the government to decide that.’

Fair Work is currently talking with businesses and unions to get their perspectives on WFH as part of its awards review.

Employment Hero ceo Ben Thompson told Daily Mail Australia the debate over flexible working has accelerated.

‘These conversations are crucial. The shift to flexible work arrangements has unlocked a world of opportunities, not just for businesses to tap into a wider talent pool but also for a diverse set of individuals to engage with the workforce,’ he said.

‘And it’s not just limited to working from home, but enabling a work culture that is adaptive, inclusive, and productive.

‘It’s paramount these discussions do not digress into a political tug-of-war but instead focus on enhancing productivity and global competitiveness.

‘This isn’t just about individual rights or businesses’ operational flexibility, but about creating a more inclusive and efficient Australian workforce.’

The government’s recent sweeping workplace changes saw the latest reforms passed in February, which included giving casuals working full-time the option to transition into a permanent position.

The establishment of minimum pay rates and work standards for gig economy workers also came into play.

Aussie workers want flexibility, which they got used to during the pandemic

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