Man sues employer for offering permanent WFH

A financial planner from Newcastle, Australia, is suing the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) for USD 172,000 (INR 95 lakh approx) in redundancy pay and other expenses due to his dislike of working from home (WFH). According to the Australian Financial Review, the employee considered the job transfer to be an unwelcome intrusion into his private life. Additionally, he claimed that working from home was isolating and had the potential to cause health issues for him.

The Daily Mail reported that the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) shut down its retail financing planning division and proposed a job transfer to its insurance arm, AIA, to the employee. This transfer would have required permanent remote work. The employee was informed that if he declined this offer, he would not be eligible for any redundancy pay. However, there was an essential clause in his agreement which stated that if the new position had inferior working conditions than his previous job, he would be entitled to redundancy pay.

Although the employee initially agreed to the job transfer, he eventually changed his mind. He argued that remote work was negatively impacting his personal life and that the new position at AIA was inferior.

The employee is concerned that permanent remote work conditions would restrict his client base, limiting him to clients who are 55 years old or younger. Most of his previous clients were people who had retired. Furthermore, he does not have enough space in his house to establish a permanent office. As a result, he is now suing the CBA for redundancy pay amounting to USD 172,000, including the civil penalties or interest charges.

The remote work culture has been advantageous for numerous individuals due to benefits such as increased flexibility, reduced commute times, and the ability to spend more time with family. However, not everyone has found it beneficial, clearly!