The Victorian Government's plan to legislate a right to work from home appears effectively dead before November's state election, after Cabinet ruled out extending Parliament's sitting calendar to push the reforms through. Premier Ben Carroll had repeatedly promised the legislation, which would guarantee employees at least two days a week working from home, would pass before voters go to the polls. The setback is significant because it strands one of the government's flagship workplace policies and undercuts Labor's attempt to use the issue as a political wedge against the Coalition.

The policy was first announced by former premier Jacinta Allan in May 2025 but was not introduced to Parliament until June 2026, shortly before she was replaced as leader. Passage was derailed when the Legislative Council voted to refer the bill to a parliamentary inquiry, which is not due to report until 20 October, weeks after Parliament's last scheduled sitting day before the election, leaving an additional sitting week as the only realistic route to passage, one Cabinet has now rejected. Business groups and the Property Council campaigned hard against the bill, with the latter citing legal advice suggesting it could be unconstitutional, while the Coalition says it supports flexible work but opposes mandating it by law.