The Australian state of Victoria was due to enforce a legal right to work from home starting September 2026. But just weeks away from its implementation, the new premier, Ben Carroll, has announced a year’s delay in response to fierce business opposition. Thousands of miles away, in Portugal, parents of young children already have a legal right to work from home without needing their employers’ approval. All of these developments raise the question: should workers be given a legal right to work from home? There is an argument that firms should have full discretion over their employees’ working arrangements, including whether they can work remotely. However, by giving bosses complete control over such decisions, we are in danger of affirming the importance of profitability over wellbeing and ignoring the needs of working parents. Workers’ wellbeing One justification for taking remote work policy out of bosses’ hands is to boost workers’ wellbeing. There are plenty of reasons why you might want to work remotely. Maybe you want to avoid a long, sweaty and costly commute. Maybe …