2-day WFH bill gets Senate inquiry

Today (27 November), a Senate inquiry into a bill to mandate two days of WFH across the workforce has been secured by the Greens.

The inquiry will report by 26 March 2026 and will address the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 put forward by the Greens earlier this month.

If legislated, the bill will allow all workers to request to work remotely twice a week, unless deemed “impractical” or “impossible” based on the inherent requirements of the role.

Workplace relations, jobs and employment spokesperson for the Greens, Senator Barbara Pocock, said: “While the Greens recognise that working from home is not possible in all roles, workers should have a reasonable right to work from home for up to a couple of days a week where it is practical and possible.”

Pocock said the Senate inquiry was secured due to the nature of flexible working arrangements as an “essential feature” of modern workplaces.

She pointed to the benefits of working from home, such as the time-savings from not having to commute to work, improvements to workers’ work/life balance, an increase in mental and physical wellbeing, as well as a boost to workforce participation and productivity.

This bill comes in the wake of news this year of the Victorian government’s move to introduce WFH laws, which erupted into “political theatre”.

“The state Labor government in Victoria backs the right to work from home. Given that most workers in Australia are covered by federal workplace law, it makes practical sense to ensure this right at the national level,” Pocock said.

“We need a sensible, national approach.”