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4 clusters · 16 sources · 13 days · First seen · Last updated

Victoria work-from-home law and cabinet reshuffle

Overview

Premier Ben Carroll, who took office in late July, first signalled a possible amendment to Victoria’s work-from-home (WFH) legislation and announced a cabinet reshuffle that placed Julie Ligeti on a chief-of-staff track and confirmed Gabrielle Williams as deputy premier. Within days he trimmed the ministry to 20 members, promoted Tim Richardson and moved Williams to the education portfolio while former premier Jacinta Allan and her allies exited the cabinet.

The government has now confirmed it will press ahead with the WFH bill, which has already passed the lower house and is slated for debate in the Legislative Council before the November state election. The legislation gives employees a statutory right to work from home two days a week and obliges employers to cover reasonable equipment costs. It will apply to all employers from 1 September, but firms with 15 or fewer staff receive a reprieve until 1 July 2027; Carroll is also consulting on exemptions for businesses with fewer than 50 employees.

Business groups, including the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and the Council of Small Business Organisations, continue to urge the bill be scrapped or amended, arguing it would burden employers. The premier’s agenda also contends with industrial action by public-hospital doctors and a planned teachers’ strike.

In response to ongoing opposition, Premier Carroll has announced a delay to the implementation of the legislation, pushing the proposed start date from 1 September to July 2027. This delay is intended to facilitate a “reset” in the government’s relationship with the business community and allow for further consultation. Despite the postponement, Carroll confirmed the bill is still expected to pass before the November state election.

Entities

Ben Carroll · Gabrielle Williams · Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry · Australian Industry Group · Council of Small Business Organisations Australia

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how well corroborated each claim is across sources.

Timeline

  1. about 5 hours ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources
    Victoria Premier Ben Carroll delays work-from-home laws

    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll has delayed controversial work-from-home laws until July 2027 to consult with business groups and reset the government's relationship with the industry.

  2. 4 days ago

    [POLITICS] 2 sources
    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll pushes ahead with work‑from‑home legislation

    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll is pressing ahead with a work‑from‑home bill that grants employees two days a week of remote work, mandates employer cost coverage, and faces strong business opposition ahead of a

  3. 8 days ago

    [POLITICS] 6 sources
    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll trims cabinet and reviews work‑from‑home bill

    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll cuts the cabinet to 20 members and, amid business pressure, looks to add small‑business exemptions to a new work‑from‑home law.

  4. 13 days ago

    [POLITICS] 10 sources
    Victorian Premier Ben Carroll signals work‑from‑home law review and cabinet reshuffle

    Victoria’s new premier Ben Carroll may amend the work‑from‑home law and is reshuffling his cabinet, appointing Julie Ligeti as chief of staff and naming Gabrielle Williams deputy premier.

Sources

7news.com.au · abenteuerleben.ch · americanindependent.com · brisbanetimes.com.au · communitynews.com.au · iso.org.au · m.smh.com.au · newsbytesapp.com · perthnow.com.au · smartcompany.com.au · smh.com.au · switzer.com.au · theage.com.au · thenightly.com.au · waToday.com.au · watoday.com.au

This summary has been updated 2 times: see revision history