Fair Work Commission Backs Employee in Remote Work Dispute with Westpac

In a recent decision of Karlene Chandler v Westpac Banking Corporation [2025] FWC 3115, the Fair Work Commission has required Westpac to approve an employee's request to work remotely. The case has attracted considerable interest. Principal Tim McDonald recently discussed the decision on CNN International. You can view the clip here.

Facts

• The employee was part-time and had worked at Westpac since 2002.
• In 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, she and her family moved to Wilton, a town nearly 100 km from Sydney's CBD.
• The employee had largely worked from home for the past few years and had performed well.
• Westpac had a hybrid working policy requiring staff to work from a corporate office at least two days per week.