Victorian Premier Says Work-From-Home Laws Will Pass Parliament Imminently

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll speaks to the media at Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on July 28, 2026. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images

Victorian Premier Ben Carroll is confident the Labor party’s controversial work-from-home legislation will pass soon.

“We are going to pass the right to work from home laws this week. Work from home works. That’s the message I’ve heard loud and clear,” Carroll said on social media.

However, the premier revealed he has made some changes to the laws to make them more practical for businesses.

“But these laws need to work for business too. Because the reality is, if it’s not practical for employers, the laws won’t last,” he said.

“So I’ve made some sensible amendments to these laws to make them practical and affordable for businesses while preserving the right for workers. And we will introduce these amendments into parliament this week.”

The legislation would amend Victoria’s Equal Opportunity Act 2010 to create a statutory right for eligible employees to work from home up to two days per week.

Carroll argued that work from home attracts the best talent to Victoria, and encourages women back into the workforce.

“And in Victoria it will be your right. A right Labor will protect from a bad boss. And from a Liberal-One Nation Coalition who dreams of taking it away,” he said.

The proposed amendments, which are yet to be officially released, are said to include changes to employers’ obligation to pay reasonable costs.

Further, they would broaden the grounds on which employers can refuse a work-from-home arrangement, including based on operational needs.

Carroll previously revealed that the work-from-home policy’s implementation would be pushed back to July 1, 2027.

The Opposition is planning to support the legislation and has put forward their own amendments.

Business Groups Unite Against Plan

Meanwhile, business groups united on Sept. 9 in calling on the Victorian government to withdraw the legislation following confirmation of the premier’s plans.

A joint statement was released on behalf of the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Australian Retail Council, Australian Industry Group, Business Council of Australia and other groups.

“There is no clear plan to turn around Victoria’s deteriorating economic performance, which puts it behind every other state in the nation,” the business groups said.

“Victoria already has the highest unemployment rate in the nation, and at a time when households and businesses are under pressure, Victoria neither needs nor wants this legislation.”

The business groups acknowledged the premier’s willingness to consult with them. However, they said that despite Carroll offering a “significant range of amendments,” the changes did not fix the “fundamentally flawed law.”

They also claimed that the law will risk Victoria’s economy and send jobs interstate.

“The bill should be abandoned, and no amendment can fix its fundamental problems,” business groups said.

“We consider that the passing of this legislation leaves the government’s commitment to ‘grow the economy’ in tatters.”