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In light of recent global events and what the war in the Middle East will mean for increasing cost-of-living pressures, the FSU recently wrote to employers to request that in-office mandates be suspended and employees be allowed to determine their own flexible working arrangements.

Suspending office attendance requirements is a reasonable and practical measure that your employer can take right now to help keep your costs down.

We have asked employers to urgently consider our request and respond within a week. We’ll keep members informed of any updates.

Victorian protections to apply from September

Our request comes as the Victorian Government’s plan to legislate the right to work from home for two days a week moves one step closer, the government has announced it intends for the changes to take effect from September 2026.

Additionally, the government announced that this right will now be enshrined in the Equal Opportunity Act and will apply to all Victorian workers who can work from home, regardless of how many employees there are.

As finance workers, we know from first-hand experience that work from home works. Being able to work from home even a few days a week means less money spent on petrol, public transport and childcare, more time with families, and better flexibility.

With many employers now pushing to return to pre-COVID work arrangements, this legislation is vital to ensure we protect these benefits.

To highlight the importance of WFH, FSU members Danielle Khalaf (pictured) and Isabelle Dol attended the government’s press conferences, where they spoke on behalf of finance workers about the importance of WFH.

Danielle said she struggled to decide if she could have a family because of the possibility of being made to return to the office full time.

“The idea of being forced to go back to the office working crazy hours [...] just wasn't feasible or practical with a family,” Danielle said.

“I wanted to make sure that I was that present parent, that I could be there for my family at all times.

“This policy is important [...] because it means I don't have to spend hours a day commuting to and from the city, countless hours I could have used working productively at home.”

Danielle said it was important for employers to recognise that “life has changed” for the better for working families.

“There are a lot of people who think it's time to come back and that we must come back, but that’s not how life is anymore.

“[Work from home] is under threat and we need to do everything we can to stop that from happening.

“This policy is so important because it means there's no discriminatory application of who can or can't work from home, it means we're all guaranteed that right.”

If passed, Victoria will be the first Australian jurisdiction to embed WFH protections in legislation.

This will ultimately benefit everyone, as it will help our union negotiate even more strongly for enterprise agreements that recognise and respect our right to flexibility. You can read our submission to the government supporting the proposed legislation here.