The Fair Work Commission has recognised the productivity costs of working from home and supported bosses’ rights to get workers back to the office post pandemic under Labor’s newly expanded flexible work laws. In the first test of laws that took effect in June, the workplace tribunal ruled salary packaging provider Maxxia had “reasonable business grounds” to reject a case adviser’s request to work .
It found that face-to-face interactions in the office helped to improve productivity, training and general team culture. Employers had raised concerns that new flexible work appeals would exacerbate work-from-home tensions post-pandemic.The worker’s request had clashed with the company’s hybrid working policy, which requires staff to come to the office at least 40 per cent of their hours. The ruling tests the limits of employees’ right to work from home after Labor introduced powers to appeal employers’ flexible work refusals in its Secure Jobs Better Pay law