Work from home: Public official wins historic call to go to the office just one day a week

A public official has won a landmark legal battle over working from home, meaning he will only have to go to the office one day a week.

Daniel Hume, a healthcare worker in Queensland, applied to work completely from home in March 2021, saying it made him more productive and allowed him to spend more time with his family.

After a senior director denied his request, saying he had to come to the office two days one week and three days the next, he launched a legal fight to overturn the decision.

Hume appealed to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission (QIRC), arguing Queensland Health had taken a blanket approach and failed to take his circumstances into account.

He also argued that he had fewer distractions and more time to exercise when working from home because travel time was eliminated.

According to the mailthe QIRC determined that I would only have to work in the office one day a week.

Queensland Health took the matter to the state’s Industrial Court, taking the stance that spending more days in the office helps workers unwind after work and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

They also argued that Hume needed to have face-to-face interactions as part of his job as a manager.

The vice president of the Industrial Court dismissed Queensland Health’s appeal last Friday, saying the decision handed down by the QIRC was correct.

Hume resigned in August 2022, the same day the QIRC handed down its ruling.