Industrious Conversations - What employers need to know about flexible work requests

In the final episode for 2025 in our Industrious Conversations series, Employment partners Talia Firth and Jane Harvey break down the wave of recent Fair Work Commission decisions on flexible work arrangements, and what they mean for Australian employers navigating changing work patterns. They explain the strict technical rules under the Fair Work Act, why eligibility matters, and how cases like Collins, Sydney Water, and Naden show the real consequences of missing key steps in the process. They also explore the harder question of reasonable business grounds, including what the Westpac decision means for employers, why general statements about teamwork or culture may not be enough to refuse a flexible work request , and how long-standing remote work arrangements may shape the outcome. To listen to this and subscribe to future episodes, search for “Ashurst Legal Outlook” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favourite podcast player. To explore more from Ashurst’s podcast library, visit ashurst.com/podcasts. The information provided is not intended to be a comprehensive review of all developments in the law and practice, or to cover all aspects of those referred to. Listeners should take legal advice before applying it to specific issues or transactions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.