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 backlash from business leaders. A senior executive at the prominent retail company Bunnings has voiced strong opposition, warning that the upcoming laws could foster “structural inequity” within workplaces.

The groundbreaking legislation, scheduled to be implemented on September 1, aims to codify a right for employees to work remotely for a portion of their week. While Premier Jacinta Allan has repeatedly assured the public that the mandate would apply to full-time, part-time, and casual workers, the initial draft of the bill revealed recent exclusions. Notably, apprentices, graduates, and employees undergoing probation periods were not included in the initial scope.

Bunnings Executive Highlights Potential Disparities

Michael Schneider, managing director of Bunnings, has joined a growing chorus of business and political figures opposing the bill. He stated that the legislation risks embedding “structural inequity” into the fabric of working environments.

“We have numerous teams who are required to be physically present to perform their essential duties – our store teams, our distribution teams, our manufacturing teams – and they consistently deliver outstanding work,” Schneider explained in a recent interview. “However, under this proposed legislation, our support teams would gain a legal entitlement to work from home several days a week. Our perspective as a business is that we understand our operational needs and the needs of our employees. We have no objections to our support teams working remotely, but we believe we are very capable of managing this internally.”

Call for Business Autonomy in Flexible Work Arrangements

Schneider emphasized that each business has unique requirements and that company leaders are best positioned to address these. “We already offer flexible work arrangements in our stores, and this extends to our support centre teams,” he noted. “This approach has proven effective across the rest of the country, and it’s unclear why Victoria needs a different system. I believe most employers are keen to offer flexibility – I haven’t encountered a business leader who doesn’t see the value in it – but the question is whether it requires legislative intervention.”

Concerns Over Bureaucracy and Economic Impact

Melbourne’s Acting Lord Mayor, Roshena Campbell, also expressed strong reservations about the laws, characterizing them as a “bureaucratic and legal nightmare.” In a public statement, Campbell argued, “This state government legislation is not only unnecessary but creates significant administrative and legal hurdles for small businesses already facing considerable challenges. This initiative will not contribute to the state’s economic growth and poses a long-term risk to Victorian workers, as jobs that can be performed locally could potentially be outsourced internationally.”

The government asserts that working from home can save individuals an average of $5308 annually. Premier Allan also pointed out that a third of all workers and 60 percent of white-collar professionals regularly work remotely. Additionally, the workforce participation rate is reportedly 4.4 percent higher than pre-pandemic levels. Data from a major commercial real estate firm indicates that Melbourne’s central business district office occupancy rates surpassed 65 percent in early 2026, marking the highest level since 2020.

Legislative Process and Employer Responsibilities

The bill is currently under parliamentary debate and is anticipated to be passed and enacted by September 1. Under the proposed framework, an employee would need to submit a “work from home notice” to their employer, who would then have 21 days to respond. Businesses would be permitted to evaluate whether remote work negatively impacts productivity, hinders employee training, or damages client and stakeholder relationships. The draft also specifies that casual employees must be working on a “regular and systematic basis” to be eligible.

If both the employer and employee agree that remote work is feasible, the business would be responsible for providing all “essential” hardware and software, as well as ensuring secure access to company information systems. Businesses with fewer than 15 employees will have an extended deadline of July 1 to comply with these regulations.