Unions Back Right to Work From Home

Peak union bodies and parenting groups urged a Senate committee to enshrine a right to request remote work for up to two days a week.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Remote Work

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Should workers have a legal right to request working from home two days a week?

Representatives from peak union bodies and parenting groups appeared before the Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee on Wednesday 4 November 2026. The proposed amendments would enshrine a right to request to work from home for up to two days per week in the Fair Work Act.

Why it matters

Many workers view working from home as a cost-of-living relief measure, and the proposal would turn that practice into a statutory entitlement. Supporters argue it keeps women with caring responsibilities and people with disabilities in the workforce, while critics warn of complexities for part-time and shift workers.

Workers who worked from home reported saving 3.4 hours a week in commuting and $110 in travel expenses. The National Working Families Survey found 74 per cent of women and 57 per cent of men reported stress, though the survey's sample base was not stated in the extraction.

The players

Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee

The Australian Senate committee responsible for examining the proposed amendments to the Fair Work Act, which took evidence at its hearing on the work-from-home right.

Ben Moxham

Director of legal and policy at the Australian Council for Trade Unions, who argued the proposed legislation introduces complexities for part-time and shift workers.

The details

Representatives from peak union bodies and parenting groups gave evidence on amendments that would enshrine a right to request work from home for up to two days per week in the Fair Work Act. Ms Dent urged the committee to reject suggestions that the right be confined to carers, while the Australian Council for Trade Unions' director of legal and policy Ben Moxham argued the legislation introduces complexities for part-time and shift workers.

Wednesday 4 November 2026: Senate Education and Employment Legislation Committee hears testimony on the amendments.

Roadmap

The proposal would extend the Fair Work Act, which already sets out statutory flexible working request rights, by adding a specific entitlement to request remote work for up to two days per week. It marks a move from employer-by-employer arrangements toward a legislated baseline for hybrid work in Australia.

If enacted, employees could formally request to work from home for up to two days per week under the Fair Work Act. Workers who already combine remote and office days may find the request process clarifies what they can ask their employer for.

The takeaway

A statutory right to request remote work would give workers a formal channel to ask for flexibility, though the outcome will depend on how the committee resolves questions about eligibility and part-time and shift work. Workers weighing a request should track how the final wording treats carers versus other employees.