Retail Giant Executive Criticizes Proposed Work-From-Home Mandate
New legislation in Victoria that would legally grant employees the right to work from home two days a week is facing significant criticism from business leaders. The proposed laws, expected to be enacted from September 1, aim to enshrine flexible working arrangements for a broad range of employees.
However, a recent draft of the Bill has revealed potential exclusions, notably omitting apprentices, graduates, and employees still within their probationary periods. This has fueled concerns among business representatives about the potential for creating unfair divisions within the workforce.
Bunnings Executive Warns of “Structural Inequity”
Michael Schneider, Managing Director of retail giant Bunnings, has voiced strong opposition to the incoming legislation. He argues that the laws could inadvertently foster “structural inequity” by creating a disparity between employees whose roles necessitate on-site presence and those in support functions.
“We’ve got a whole lot of teams who have to go to work to perform their duties – our store teams, our distribution teams, our manufacturing teams – and they do amazing work all the time,” Schneider stated. “But all of a sudden, we’ve got a situation where our support teams, under this proposed legislation, actually have a legal right to work from home a couple of days a week.
“Our view is as a business, we understand the needs of our business, we understand the needs of our teams – we have no problem with our support team working from home, but we think we’re really well-equipped to manage that ourselves.”
Business Autonomy and Flexibility
Schneider emphasized that businesses are best positioned to determine their own operational needs and manage their workforces effectively. He pointed out that Bunnings already implements flexible work arrangements across its operations, including its stores and support centers.
“For us, it seems to work perfectly well everywhere else in the country and I’m not sure why it needs to be different just because it’s Victoria,” he added. “I think employers do want to offer flexibility – I haven’t spoken to a business leader that doesn’t think flexibility is a good thing – but does it need to be legislated?”
Concerns Over Bureaucracy and Economic Impact
Melbourne’s Acting Lord Mayor, Roshena Campbell, echoed these concerns, labeling the proposed laws as a “bureaucratic and legal nightmare.” She expressed worries about the burden on small businesses already facing economic challenges.
“Not only is this state government legislation unnecessary, it creates a bureaucratic and legal nightmare for small businesses that are already doing it so tough,” Ms. Campbell said in a statement. “This legislation will do nothing to grow the state’s economy and is a long-term threat to every Victoria worker because a job that can be done from Pakenham is a job that can be done from the Philippines.”
Government’s Stance and Economic Data
Government officials maintain that working from home offers significant financial benefits to employees, estimating annual savings of approximately $5308 per worker. Premier Jacinta Allan has highlighted that a substantial portion of the workforce, one-third overall and 60 percent of white-collar workers, already engage in regular remote work.
Furthermore, officials point to a current workforce participation rate that is 4.4 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Data from real estate firm CBRE indicates a recovery in Melbourne’s central business district office occupancy, exceeding 65 percent in early 2026, the highest since 2020.
Legislative Process and Employer Obligations
The Bill is currently under parliamentary debate and is intended to come into effect on September 1. Under the proposed framework, employees would submit a “work from home notice” to their employer, who would then have 21 days to respond.
Businesses can assess requests by considering potential impacts on productivity, employee training, and client relationships. The draft legislation also specifies that casual employees must be working on a “regular and systemic basis” to be eligible.
Should an agreement be reached, employers would be responsible for providing essential hardware, software, and secure access to business information systems. Smaller businesses employing fewer than 15 individuals will have an extended deadline of July 1 to comply with these new regulations.
