Victorian Premier Delays Work-From-Home Laws Until After Election

Newly appointed Victorian Premier Ben Carroll speaks to the media at Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne, Australia, on July 28, 2026. Asanka Ratnayake/Getty ImagesNew Victorian Labor Premier Ben Carroll will delay controversial work-from-home legislation until after the state election.Carroll revealed he held a conversation with Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry CEO Sally Curtain and Australian Industry Group’s Victoria head, Tim Piper, to inform them of the delay until July 2027.The legislation would have provided eligible full-time employees with the statutory right to work from home up to two days a week from September 2026.“I’ve spoken with Sally Curtain this morning and Tim Piper, and I told them that work-from-home will not proceed on Sept. 1. It will proceed on July 1, 2027,” Carroll told reporters on Aug. 11.“I want to be very clear. I support work from home. I support flexible work. It is good for working families. Equally, though, we need to make sure that … everyone knows it’s a partnership between working families and the business community and the government.”The Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026 was due to be debated in parliament in the week of Aug. 11 before coming into force in September.However, Carroll, from Labor’s right faction, won the party leadership in late July, prompting a rethink of the legislation.Businesses Strongly Oppose Legislation Carroll’s decision comes after multiple business groups put pressure on the Labor government to scrap work from home bill.Curtain welcomed the premier’s decision to pause debate on the “divisive legislation.” However, she maintained that the bill must be scrapped entirely as it was unnecessary and costly for Victorian businesses.“The Premier has been in touch with us directly and has indicated he is willing to meet with us. We hope to persuade him to abandon this destructive course,” she said. “As it stands, this legislation remains a profound risk to our state’s economy.”Industry groups had pointed out on Aug. 10 that the legislation was not necessary because most Victorian businesses already enable flexible work.The Victorian Opposition were not planning to oppose the bill, but had put forward several amendments.Specifically, Shadow Attorney-General James Newbury proposed amendments to protect employers from liability for injuries and prevent unions from entering homes under the Fair Work Act.Under federal law, union officials can normally enter workplaces to investigate suspected safety breaches, but Newbury’s amendment would have ensured homes were exempt from such inspections.