Proposal would see upfront allowance and a lid on snooping
A new workplace policy is pushing for an upfront cash allowance to cover work-related expenses in a bid to prevent employees shouldering the financial burden of working from home.
The ACTU’s Working From Home Charter stresses the importance of safeguarding the rights of employees in an increasingly virtual world.
It is pushing for transparent practices around data collection and outlining employee rights to privacy - particularly around biometric and Personally Identifiable Information (PII) which the ACTU says should be exempt.
The charter also calls on employers to insure the equipment used by remote workers and to implement tough rules to stop workloads becoming excessive.
ACTU secretary Sally McManus said working from home must be sustainable and properly supported by employers.
“The decision to work from home doesn’t mean you surrender your rights at work or your mental health,” she said.
“No one should be out of pocket, expected to work longer unpaid hours or not allowed to disconnect.”
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The charter is centred around five key elements, highlighting both the financial and mental strain of increased working from home.
The proposed cash allowance for remote workers includes the cost of recurring expenses, such as electricity, water, internet, equipment and stationery.
In regards to rolling out the charter, McManus said unions in heavily unionised industries will initially aim to seek an agreement with employers.
Unions would then push for the charter to be included in enterprise agreements as and when they come up for renegotiation.
Major banks, financial institutions, public sector workplaces and finance and general clerical will be the first industries to be targeted by unions.
Read more: The emotional cost of working from home
McManus said: “Unions are available to every worker and are here to help make workers ensure that their jobs are good quality secure jobs no matter where they work.
“If you’re working from home and you’re being asked to work longer unpaid hours or dealing with mental health issues as a result of your work, get in touch with your union.
“Unions will be negotiating rights for home workers as outlined in the charter with employers – it’s critical that we take a proactive approach to getting this right.”