Work from home: Public servant wins landmark appeal to only come into the office one day a week

A civil servant has won a historic legal battle to work from home, meaning he will only have to go to the office one day a week.

Daniel Hume, a Queensland health worker, applied to work entirely from home in March 2021, claiming it made him more productive and able to spend more time with his family.

After a senior director rejected his request, telling him to come to the office for two days one week and three days the next, he waged a legal battle to overturn the decision.

Mr 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 he worked from home because his commute time was eliminated.

According to the Courier mailthe QIRC determined that he only had to work in the office one day a week.

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

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

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

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