Victoria conducts a major survey on working from home amid plans to mandate flexible work arrangements
The majority of Victorians consider working from home as "extremely important" to them, according to a large survey carried out by the State Government.
The survey, which received 36,770 responses, was conducted to determine the public's perception of the state's plan to legislate working from home at least twice a week.
Initial findings from the large-scale poll found that more than 74%, or at least 25,724 respondents, said WFH is "extremely important" to them.
A further 4,449 respondents, or 13%, said WFH was "very important" to them.
It also found that 28,601 respondents (82%) have the option to work from home, and 10,207 respondents (36%) are currently in an arrangement that allows them to work from home twice a week, the most common model emerging from the poll.
Among the 4,346 respondents who cannot work from home, the report found that 57% had requested the arrangement, with 83% being refused.
Almost all of those rejected, however, felt the refusal was not reasonable (97%) and that it led to further challenges (76%) in the workplace, according to the poll's findings.
"Of those who could work from home but currently don't, most had requested it – and most were refused," said Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan in a statement.
"The survey says thousands of Victorians have been denied work from home. That's exactly why we're protecting work from home."
Benefits of WFH
Meanwhile, the poll also found that most employees would consider the benefit of working from home when staying in their current job, as well as choosing one job over another.
These sentiments come as employees said working from home would save them time and money on commuting to their workplace.
They also noted the lack of distractions as a benefit of working from home. More than 28,800 respondents also said they were more productive at home than in the workplace, in terms of hours worked and milestones achieved.
Meanwhile, for the 2,065 employers who participated in the poll, employee satisfaction emerged as the top benefit for them in a WFH policy.
Others said WFH allows for a bigger talent pool for hiring and higher productivity.
"The biggest-ever Victorian Government survey says work from home works for families and it's good for the economy," Allan said.
Victoria's WFH plan
The major survey is part of the government's widespread consultations over its plan to legislate working from home twice a week.
Further consultation with businesses and industry groups, who have opoed the move, is ongoing, according to the State Government.
Tim Piper, Ai Group's Victorian Head, previously said the proposal was "little more than pure political theatre."
"The proposal is a serious government overreach that undermines business autonomy and further jeopardises economic confidence in the state. It is blatant political opportunism at the expense of Victorian business," Piper said in August.
"Many businesses have been actively encouraging employees to return to the workplace full-time where they thought it was necessary, while recognising that flexibility is a component of working arrangements. Mandating work-from-home is a regressive step that runs counter to global trends and business best practice."
Cath Evans, Victorian executive director of the Property Council, also questioned the need for the law in response to the findings of the state's record-breaking poll.
"Victorians are perhaps better adjusted to working flexibly than any other state given our status as the most locked-down city in the world during the pandemic," Evans said in a statement.
"With this in mind, the question really becomes why we need to legislate a system that is already working."
According to Evans, Central Melbourne will be harmed by the state's plan due to reduced foot traffic.
"Locking in a right to work from home will only disadvantage small businesses and undermine the city's long-term appeal to domestic and foreign investors," she said.
"If the government wants to support productivity, jobs, and prosperity, it should encourage balance, not blanket legislation. Flexible work arrangements must remain a matter between employers and employees."
