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An employee who has worked exclusively from home since the first COVID lockdowns has been ordered by the Fair Work Commission to return to the office once a fortnight, after her employer provided detailed evidence of its need for in-person attendance.

"I consider an employer's requirement for their employees to have some in-person contact with their line manager is a reasonable business ground for refusing a flexible working arrangement that would otherwise have the employee working exclusively from home," Deputy President Richard Clancy said.

The Commission heard that AGL Energy subsidiary ConnectNow had been seeking for the full-time customer service consultant to return to its Melbourne office for at least some of her working week, due to performance concerns, since August 2024.

But she resisted returning, saying she needed to work from home to care for her mother, who has dementia...