The state government’s proposed ‘never been done before’ work-from-home laws on the surface seem like a win for the modern family.

Saving time and money on commutes in a time of ever-increasing cost-of-living is convenience that has been proven to be invaluable for some who already have work from home measures.

However, as the legislation moves from the halls of parliaments to our local streets, we must ask whose rights are being protected and to what cost to the local economy.

According to state government data, 1.3 million Victorians work for small businesses.

Small businesses in Wangaratta’s CBD rely on the office worker grabbing a sandwich at lunch or a gift on their way home.

If the law mandates a two-day-a-week home stay for all eligible commercial staff, the economic scourge won't be the commute, it will be the quiet streets left behind.

For a large portion of regional Victoria and the North East working from home is an impossibility.

Our biggest employers in healthcare, trade and hospitality are business defined by presence.

As Ovens Valley MP Tim McCurdy rightly points out, the devil is in the detail.

It’s needless to say, but a one-size fits all approach to these laws will not work and they must be specific to ensure small business owners are not caught in a loop of rigid HR nightmares.

The government must guarantee that in protecting the "laptop class," they don't inadvertently pull the rug out from under the essential, physical industries that keep the North East running.