Australian businesses are legally allowed 2 days of remote work per week 0 13

Following the announcement by the Victorian government about plans to legally enshrine remote work, several of Australia's largest companies may be required by law to allow employees to work from home two days a week, writes the Financial Times. In the state capital, Melbourne, one of the largest cities in the country, are the offices of major employers such as BHP, Rio Tinto, ANZ, Telstra, as well as the largest pension funds.

The Labor government of the state proposed a provision that workers in both the public and private sectors will receive a legally guaranteed right to work remotely two days a week, provided that the nature of their work allows it. The law is set to come into effect in September, and small businesses will be given additional time to adapt to the new requirements.

State Premier Jacinta Allan noted that remote work benefits families: it helps save time and money, and makes it easier for parents to balance work and childcare. Elections are expected in the fall, and the implementation of the law protecting the right to remote work will be one of the key points of the election program.

The issue of remote employment has already sparked political debates at the federal level. During last year's campaign, the opposition Liberal Party of Australia proposed to abandon flexible forms of employment in the public sector and require employees to work in the office five days a week. However, this initiative was withdrawn after a month due to negative public reaction. It is still unclear whether the Victorian Liberal opposition will challenge the new bill.

The government's initiative comes amid calls from some leaders to bring employees back to offices. In particular, ANZ CEO Nuno Matos stated that low workplace attendance could affect the size of bonuses at the bank. Business representatives warn that the new rules could lead to a shift of jobs to other states and complicate the fight against the problem of low productivity in the country. Although large companies have already largely implemented flexible employment formats, the transition may be more challenging for small businesses. Organizations with up to 15 employees will be granted a deferral until July next year.