Is flexible working becoming less about if – and more about who?
Flexible working isn’t new.
But who expects access to it may be changing.
A proposed change in Victoria has brought flexible working arrangements back into the spotlight – particularly by extending the conversation beyond traditional full-time employees.
The Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026 proposes a right for eligible employees to work from home for two days each week, with pro-rata arrangements for eligible part-time and regular casual employees.
The Bill has passed Victoria’s Legislative Assembly and has now been referred to a Select Committee, which is due to report in October.
So, for now, this remains a proposal rather than a new entitlement.
But the recruitment question is already relevant well beyond Victoria.
Flexibility is part of the candidate conversation
Salary matters. But candidates can also be weighing up where they’ll work, when they’ll work, flexibility, career opportunities and how a role fits with the rest of their lives.
And those expectations aren’t necessarily limited to full-time employees.
That doesn’t mean every business needs to offer working from home.
Some jobs simply can’t be performed remotely. Some workplaces need people together. And what is practical for one organisation may be completely unrealistic for another.
But when you’re recruiting, clarity matters.
What flexibility can you genuinely offer?
Who does it apply to?
And are candidates finding that out early enough in the recruitment process?
It’s not simply about working from home
Flexibility can mean different things in different workplaces.
For one employee it may be working from home. For another, different start and finish times, part-time hours or another arrangement may matter more.
The important recruitment consideration isn’t necessarily “Do we offer WFH?”
It’s understanding what candidates are looking for, what your business can realistically accommodate and where the two can meet.
Because as expectations around flexible working arrangements continue to evolve, what an employer can – and can’t – offer may increasingly influence someone’s decision to join.
And that’s worth understanding before you go to market.
Information current at September 2026.
Source: Equal Opportunity Amendment (Work from Home) Bill 2026, Parliament of Victoria.
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This article featured in our September Recruitment Update.
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