Will Victoria's Work From Home Laws Change the Legal Talent Market?

Will Victoria's Work From Home Laws Change the Legal Talent Market?

Victoria's proposed legislation giving eligible employees the legal right to work from home two days per week has sparked fierce debate. Business groups warn it could increase compliance costs and discourage investment, while the Allan Government argues it will improve workforce participation, productivity and work-life balance.

For the legal profession, however, the conversation may be missing the point.

Hybrid working is no longer a differentiator for most law firms. Since the pandemic, the majority of national and mid-tier firms have already adopted flexible working arrangements, with many lawyers splitting their time between home and the office. In reality, the legislation formalises what much of the profession has already embraced.

The bigger question is whether flexibility loses its value as a recruitment tool once it becomes a legal entitlement.

For years, firms have used hybrid work to attract experienced lawyers in an increasingly competitive market. If every eligible employee has the same baseline entitlement, firms will need to find new ways to stand out.

That could mean investing more heavily in leadership, mentoring, professional development, wellbeing and career progression. It may also place greater emphasis on remuneration and culture, particularly as younger lawyers continue to prioritise flexibility alongside meaningful work.

Some commentators have suggested the legislation could encourage businesses to offshore roles or reduce hiring. While that may become a consideration in some sectors, the legal profession is different. Most legal work remains relationship-driven, jurisdiction-specific and dependent on client proximity, making large-scale offshoring less practical than in other professional services. Instead, firms are more likely to refine how they structure teams and supervise junior lawyers within a hybrid environment.

LawUno Insight

The real impact of Victoria's work from home laws won't be whether lawyers spend two days at home.

It will be how law firms compete once flexibility is no longer a benefit, but an expectation.

The firms that continue to win the war for talent won't simply offer hybrid work.

They'll offer a reason to choose them beyond it.