In a landmark case run by the Finance Sector Union, the Fair Work Commission recentlyruled that one of our members could continue to work from home, despite Westpac’s in-office mandate.
The ruling is a major win for union members’ fight to strengthen work from home rights, and could have significant implications for other finance workers with flexible working arrangements (FWA).
The FSU is now assisting more union members to secure their work from home arrangements. If you want the same support, join our union today.
When Westpac introduced its in-office policy of two days per week, FSU member Karlene Chandler was told she had to abide by the policy – despite having worked from home full time for years.
Karlene contacted the FSU and we escalated her case all the way to Fair Work.
Supported by our union, Karlene was able to point to her high individual performance ratings while working from home. At the same time, Westpac was unable to provide an acceptable ‘reasonable business reason’ to justify requiring Karlene to return to the office.
The Commission ultimately ruled that Westpac had to approve Karlene’s request to continue to work from home.
This win sends a strong message to all employers dealing with similar cases and puts them on notice.
Specifically, it confirms that employers must have genuine business grounds for refusing an FWA request, and that they must demonstrate they have met all their obligations under the Fair Work Act before making any refusal.
Our union has written to all employers in our sector to alert them to this ruling. We’ve called on them to review all FWA refusals in the past 12 months in light of our successful case, and to commit to complying with all legal requirements when reviewing FWA requests.
As a member of our union, the FSU can support you:
FSU members have long championed WFH. Flexible work arrangements are fundamental in modern workplaces.
This landmark case will set finance workers up for stronger and better protected work-life balance.
Join today to make sure you receive the support and protection you need.
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