The government today unveiled a set of controversial rights aimed at employees of small businesses.

Allan addressed the media, describing the new legislation as “an outcome that benefits everyone.”

“This policy boosts workforce participation and productivity, while also putting more money back into household budgets, which collectively brings positive effects for the economy,” she stated.

Additional details are expected to be disclosed upon the release of the legislation by the government.

“People want assurances that their right to work from home is safeguarded because it’s currently under threat,” Allan emphasized.

“The threat comes from employers who unreasonably deny requests to work from home, even when feasible. This is a concern frequently reported by unions,” she added.

Is anyone exempt from the legislation?

The government is yet to announce whether specific industries or jobs will be exempt from the mandate, but said it would be enforced for public and private sector jobs that can “reasonably” be done from home.

Small businesses are not exempt from the proposed legislation, meaning companies with any number of employees will be forced to allow their staff to work at least two days from home, where possible.

When will the laws come into effect?

The legislation is still being drafted by the government, so many of the details are yet to be announced.

Allan said she wants to see the laws pass through parliament before the end of the year.

“We’ll be providing further detail as we bring the legislation to parliament,” Allan said.

Have small businesses been consulted?

More than 37,000 Victorians, including employees and businesses, responded to an open consultation regarding work from home laws, Allan said.

Of that number, three quarters said working from home was ‘extremely important’ to them.

But business advocates have argued it should be up to them to make the call, rather than having the government stepping in.

Committee For Melbourne chief executive Scott Veenker said the changes will bring “additional regulatory burden” and could push businesses to source work elsewhere.

“It’s going to be tough for businesses to adhere to that,” Veenker said.

“It’s another reason to look at whether you’re having businesses operating in Melbourne and Victoria.”

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