Victorian WFH bill referred to parliamentary inquiry

Despite last-minute changes to address criticism from the corporate sector, the Coalition and crossbenchers joined forces to stall the Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026 (Vic) via a parliamentary inquiry due to report at the end of October.

As reported by The Guardian, the motion passed 18 votes to 17 after a joint move from the Liberal-National Coalition and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers MP Jeff Bourman, with support from members of the Legalise Cannabis, Libertarian, Family First, and One Nation parties.

As expected, the campaign has been met with mixed reactions.

According to Victorian executive director of the Property Council of Australia, Cath Evans, the decision will provide opportunity for the Parliament to “methodically examine all of the legal and economic issues associated with the Bill”.

She said: “This decision should be the clearest signal: the Victorian Government needs to be focused on the things that will actually drive growth – building more homes, creating jobs, attracting investment and restoring confidence in the state.

“We hope this is the beginning of a more constructive approach to addressing the economic issues facing Victoria.”

The delay was also welcomed by the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, with CEO Sally Curtain saying: “The Victorian Chamber maintains that the Bill must be scrapped, as it is completely unnecessary, costly and burdensome for Victorian businesses.

“The Premier has been in touch with us directly and has indicated he is willing to meet with us. We hope to persuade him to abandon this destructive course.”

According to The Guardian, Premier Ben Carroll accused the Liberal Party of “pretending to support” the laws, accusing Opposition Leader Jess Wilson of behaving “just like Peter Dutton”.

The Victorian Greens Party slammed Labor for failing to secure sufficient support for the bill while “gutting” the legislation to appease business leaders, with leader Ellen Sandell saying: “Labor has snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.

“Labor had the opportunity to pass a Bill, and through sheer political incompetence and kowtowing to big corporations, they’ve now left workers with nothing.”

Victorian Greens spokesperson for workers’ rights Aiv Publielli said: “The Greens are the party of workers, and we’ll keep fighting to make sure Victorian workers actually get the rights they were promised.”

In a statement on 10 September, Premier Carroll outlined recent amendments to the drafted legislation in response to an extended consultation period with business representatives.

Clarifying the changes, he outlined that the laws will only apply to employees who reside in Victoria, the right won’t stack on top of other rights or entitlements to work from home as dictated in Commonwealth law, the definition of “home” will now mean the employee’s principal place of residence or a location agreed between parties, and that the bill will not allow for additional employment variation.

In addition, employers will now only be liable for essential equipment such as a computer and necessary software, and internet and other utilities will not be covered.

Further, the statement clarified that operational needs may necessitate a temporary pause or revocation of the arrangements for occasional needs such as trade shows or major events.

Work-from-home rights will also apply to part-time workers with a 40 per cent entitlement.

In the 10 September statement, ahead of the bill’s passing, Premier Carroll said: “These laws must work for businesses too – because the reality is, if it’s not practical, the laws won’t last.”

Minister for Industrial Relations Colin Brooks said: “Under Labor, your right to work from home is safe from a One Nation-Liberal Coalition that wants it gone.”

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