New Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has signalled he will consider amending proposed work-from-home laws, while confirming the two-days-per-week right remains in place.
Mr Carroll on Thursday said he would consider changes to upcoming legislation that would allow Victorian workers to avoid laws requiring them to work in the office for the two-day minimum.
“Work from home does work for families, and now it will go through that parliamentary process, and we will consider anything that is sensible,” Mr Carroll said.
“Sensible changes will always come up in any debate, and like any other debate, they will be considered.”
The premier indicated the proposed laws would still enshrine the right to work-from-home two-days per week.
“That’s the plan,” he said.
The proposed laws, introduced by ex-Premier Jacinta Allan, will give workers the right to work from home two days a week if it is reasonable to do so, with pro rata arrangements for part-time or casual workers.
A worker on probation, apprentices, trainees, interns and staff or graduate programs are excluded.
The move drew criticism from business groups who were concerned the laws would leave struggling businesses “scrambling”.
The Victorian Congress of Employer Associations lobbied to “overhaul” the proposed laws, originally due to come into effect in September after moving through the lower house this week.
“The proposed commencement timetable is also dangerously compressed,” a congress spokesperson previously said.
“This would leave employers scrambling to rewrite policies, establish new processes, assess safety obligations, understand cost liabilities, train managers and respond to employee notices under an entirely new legal regime.”
Concerned with dwindling numbers of “employing businesses” in the state, the group warned the laws would add “unnecessary complexity, cos and uncertainty” to the economy.
They previously called for a two-day hard limit and more time for businesses to comply.
Ex-Premier Jacinta Allan introduced the laws as a means to save workers more than $5000 a year, while cutting congestion and commuting times.
“We know that working from home works, it works for families, it works for parents,” she said in June of this year.
“We know bosses want to take it away, Liberals want to cut it and Labor wants to protect it.”
Ms Allan expanded the Bill to include regular casual and part-time workers around the time leadership spill speculation began.
Following the announcement, her then Deputy Premier Mr Carroll promised not to challenge Ms Allan’s position as premier.
On Tuesday, it was announced Mr Carroll would take up the top job with Ms Allan resigning from the role.
“I was prepared to put my record and my plan to a ballot of members as our rules allow,” she said.
“I believe I would have won but doing so this close to an election takes up valuable resources including the most important one: time.”
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