Being too tired is no longer a valid excuse to work from home, as a senior Victorian council worker found out after losing a legal battle to spend less time in the office.
Steve Polak, 55, had already been working in the office two days a week at Macedon Ranges Shire Council in Central Victoria, but wanted to cut that down to one day for for three weeks a month because he had 'work-related fatigue'.
The planning and building liaison officer, whose LinkedIn profile includes an impassioned defence of a healthy work-life balance, argued his commute and letting a family member borrow his car for university contributed to his fatigue.
He also claimed his work responsibilities could all be done from the comfort of his own home, particularly with Microsoft Teams available to communicate with his colleagues.
However, the council rejected the request, a decision later upheld by the Fair Work Commission.
