Fair Work win for thousands of Aussies who will now get the legal right to request to work from home

Australia’s Fair Work Commission has approved a new award term allowing clerical and administrative workers to request to work from home, with the change taking effect on 26 October 2026. It gives hundreds of thousands of workers a formal way to seek flexible work, while leaving the decision subject to agreement with their employer.

Requests must be made in writing and specify the proposed location, days and pattern of remote work; another location, such as a café, can be requested if the employer approves it. The commission rejected a small business lobby bid to delay the change by six months, but did not require employers to approve requests. If a request is refused, the grounds should be at least ostensibly related to legitimate business interests.