Canberra [Australia], June 18: A national employer group is attempting to use working from home negotiations as an excuse to strip away basic workplace entitlements, a union claims.
The Australian Industry Group, which represents businesses in multiple sectors, has been taking part in confidential proceedings initiated by the Fair Work Commission to introduce work-from-home rules to the national award for clerks.
The changes aim to remove any existing award-related barriers to flexible working, the group said.
But Australian Services Union national secretary Emeline Gaske slammed what it said had been an attempt by employers to "axe basic workplace rights" in return for work-from-home entitlements.
The union said the proposed changes would allow employers to slash provisions such as overtime, penalty rates, rest breaks and minimum shift requirements.
"Even discussing the idea of employers refusing to pay overtime, remove penalty rates, eliminate breaks, and roster staff for as little as 30 minutes a day, all because someone works from home, is an outrage," Ms Gaske said on Tuesday.
"Workers are feeling totally blindsided by this proposal to cut their overtime penalty rate hours just because they work from home."
A Fair Work Commission study from earlier in 2025 found two-thirds of surveyed employees surveyed indicated being able to work from home to some extent, with more than half doing so.
"Employers and employees have been able to manage working from home arrangements for five years and they have been really effective and productive," Ms Gaske said.
But the Ai Group accused the union of presenting a "flagrantly misleading picture" of its intentions in the commission's proceedings.
Chief executive Innes Willox said the employer organisation had been taking part in the proceedings, but it would be "highly inappropriate" to disclose its contents.
The group would put forward a proposal that aimed to make it easier for employers and employees to adopt working-from-home arrangements, he said.
Mr Willox criticised the union's claims, calling it a ridiculous attempt to demonise the business organisation.
The group and its partner organisations represent the interests of 60,000 firms, employing more than one million workers.
Its membership spans companies of all sizes, from large international corporations to smaller, Australian-owned brands.
The election had shown the importance people placed on working from home, Mr Willox said in reference to the coalition's widely criticised and swiftly abandoned plan to force public servants back into the office.
"We know that accommodating this, when they can, is also important to many employers," he said.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation
