A landmark WFH ruling sends a 'clear message' to employers. Here's what to know

"The ruling granting a Westpac employee the right to work from home five days a week "sends a clear message" to all Australian employers dealing with such requests, experts say. Chandler, who has been working for Westpac since 2002, took the matter to the FWC in early 2025, seeking to either return to her previous arrangement or be allowed to work entirely from home."

""The commission's decisions in this area so far show that it expects a genuine, individualised assessment that weighs the employee's role, personal circumstances, and the broader impact of flexibility." "There was also no real evidence about the reduction in productivity or efficiency or any sort of decline in customer service that could be relied on to really justify the refusal of the application to work from home.""

An FWC ruling granted a Westpac senior manager the right to work from home five days a week after a refusal to restore her prior remote arrangement. The manager had worked remotely successfully for years and had full-time remote arrangements both before and after maternity leave. The employer argued remote work was not a substitute for childcare. The commission found no reliable evidence of reduced productivity, efficiency, or customer service to justify refusal. The commission outlined reasonable business grounds for refusal, including excessive cost, significant productivity loss, or inability to accommodate. Employers must undertake individualised assessments and provide detailed business reasons for refusals.

Read at SBS News