On 27 November 2025, the Senate referred the Fair Work Amendment (Right to Work from Home) Bill 2025 for inquiry and report.
DCA supports the intent of the Bill to strengthen access to working from home as a legitimate and important form of flexible work.
We have long been an advocate for providing workers with the flexibility they need to manage work and other commitments, whether it be flexibility in where, when and how they do their job.
The benefits of flexible working for individuals, organisations, and the economy are well-established, yet flexibility is still not mainstreamed in many Australian workplaces. In the face of globalisation, technological advancements and demographic shifts, embedding flexibility, including working from home, is critical to the future of work.
The case for working from home
There is a large body of evidence that demonstrates the benefits of working from home for both organisations and employees. The submission provides details that support the case for working from home, and how legislation around this is beneficial for:
- productivity
- participation
- economic benefits
- wellbeing
- sustainability
- retention and attraction.
While not all work can be performed remotely, legislation that encourages organisations to move away from permission-based models and toward embedding flexibility into role design can reduce arbitrary refusal, increase consistency, and improve trust.
The Bill provides an opportunity to strengthen substantive access to flexible working conditions, while still allowing employers to refuse arrangements on reasonable operational grounds. Doing so would better safeguard essential workplace adjustments, reduce stigma, and support inclusive participation in the workforce, delivering benefits not only for individuals who rely on flexibility, but for organisational performance and productivity across the Australian economy.
Considerations and recommendations
As part of DCA’s submission, we provided 8 policy recommendations for the legislation to consider and adopt, in order to address the following:
- move beyond a request-based framework
- career development, promotion, and remuneration
- workload management and wellbeing
- workplace inclusion and equity
- regional and economic participation
- cultural change and stigma reduction.
The committee is required to report by 26 March 2026 and its report will be published on the inquiry website at that time.