Flexible Work

Appendix 2 — Overview of key flexible work options

Important: The availability of various flexible work options will depend on the role and responsibilities of the employee (for example, teacher, education support officer) and the circumstances of the school

Options

• Part-time work
• Job share
• Flexible attendance arrangements
• Sabbatical leave
• Purchased leave arrangements
• Working remotely

Part-time work

Part-time employees work less than 76 hours per fortnight on average and accrue leave on a pro rata basis.

Part-time work can involve a reduction in hours over a short or medium term. It is often used to enable a phased return from maternity, family or other extended leave, or to support retirement. Depending on workplace requirements, part-time employees can work a certain number of days per week or a certain number of hours per day.

Success factors:

• the role is able to be undertaken part-time and the benefit of it being done this way is evident to the school, for example, assists recruitment
• the arrangement has principal and colleague support
• the roles and responsibilities are clearly defined
• the performance review system is realistic
• part-time employees are able to accept the need to be flexible, accessible and available
• communication strategies are well planned and implemented
• coverage (when the person is not at work) does not pose problems
• part-time employees have similar career opportunities as other employees
• regular review of the arrangement

Proposal should include:

• benefits to the school and how potential issues can be addressed
• work and time schedules
• clear description of roles and responsibilities
• a communication plan
• continuity considerations including how the tasks will be covered when the part-time employee is not at work
• review period

Advantages:

• meets employee needs
• retaining and attracting staff
• reduced ‘down time’
• increased flexibility to afford additional staff
• increased range of skills
• provides for graduated change, e.g. on return from parental leave, or prior to retirement
• potential flexibility to match work load with staffing
• potential to offer opportunities to other employees

Disadvantages:

• increased management and coordination responsibilities
• restricted ability to participate in the full range of workplace activities
• continuity
• communication
• increased management and coordination responsibilities
• restricted ability to participate in the full range of workplace activities
• continuity
• communication
• may restrict choices of work, for example, class levels, subjects
• reduced timetable flexibility
• financial effects, for example, impact on superannuation
• may impact on ability to replace work time in some roles, for example, particular curriculum areas

Job share

Job sharing involves the voluntary sharing of the duties and responsibilities of 1 position by 2 employees. Job sharing arrangements can be very flexible and tailored to suit a variety of circumstances.

Some job share arrangements work with two 0.6 positions and this provides for an overlap of time when both employees are at work. In other job share arrangements, such as two 0.5 positions, there is a need to ensure strong recording and communication processes are in place.

Success factors:

• benefits to the school can be demonstrated
• the arrangement has principal and colleague support
• students, parents and co-workers are well informed of the arrangement
• roles and responsibilities clearly defined
• job share partners are personally and professionally compatible
• job share partners have similar or complementary work philosophy
• communication strategies are well considered
• job share partners have similar career opportunities as their colleagues
• regular review of the arrangement

Proposal should include:

• benefits to the school and how potential issues can be addressed
• work and time schedules
• respective roles and responsibilities including handover processes
• a communication plan
• proposed dissolution plan
• review period

Advantages:

• multiple skills and experience for one salary
• diverse perspectives
• mutual support
• mutual review and development
• increased motivation
• increased ability to cover for absences

Disadvantages:

• increased management and coordination load
• complexity in designing job share to match skills and accommodate individual differences
• communication
• ensuring career development
• dissolution
• additional cost where overlap is needed
• additional complexity in performance assessment

Flexible attendance arrangements

Flexible attendance arrangements enable an employee and their principal to negotiate start and finish times and for employees to take time off without loss of salary on the basis that time lost will be made up. Flexible attendance arrangements can include:

• flexible start and finish times
• flexible scheduling of work
• compressed hours

Success factors:

• benefits to the school can be demonstrated
• arrangements are tailored to meet both the work requirements and personal needs
• work flow is flexible
• absence does not compromise service
• colleagues are experienced and knowledgeable
• employee is independent, dependable and has good organisational skills
• individual accepts the need to be flexible and available according to workflow requirements
• communication strategies are in place
• regular review of the arrangement

Proposal should include:

• benefits to the school
• work and time schedules
• communication plan
• coordination details
• review period
• capacity to respond to short-term high priority needs

Advantages:

• better matching workflow and staffing
• covering peak work times
• tailoring hours to meet individual needs
• tailoring hours to meet curriculum, student or other school programming requirements
• retaining full-time position while meeting multiple responsibilities

Disadvantages:

• difficulty of coordination
• over taxing individuals — trying to do too much
• may mask the need for re-organising work schedules
• altering workflow
• may impact on the capacity to meet unforeseen situations
• may not be possible for some classroom teachers

Sabbatical leave

The sabbatical leave scheme is made up of a work period consisting of between 1 to 4 years at a reduced rate of pay, and a subsequent leave period of between 10.4 weeks to 52 weeks. Payment during the leave period can be 80% or 100% depending on the scheme being accessed.

The conditions associated with sabbatical leave schemes vary for different types of employees

Success factors:

• consideration is given to the taxation and superannuation implications of the reduced salary
• employee has carefully considered the financial implications of a reduced salary for the relevant work period
• the break is used to achieve a particular goal or purpose
• communication with the workplace is maintained during the break
• employee has planned the break and the return to work carefully

Proposal should include:

• benefits to the school
• benefits to the individual
• time and dates of leave
• details of who is affected
• proposal for coverage during the absence
• proposal for return to work arrangements

Advantages:

• retention and attraction of skilled employees
• new skills and renewed enthusiasm of employees
• ability to plan for absence in advance
• employees able to plan for absence at selected points in professional and personal life
• supports individual continuous learning and professional development

Disadvantages:

• effort or costs associated with short-term replacement
• loss of continuity in staffing
• management load in maintaining communication during absence
• employees may find it difficult to judge the impact of reduced salary, and the taxation and superannuation implications

Purchased leave arrangements

Purchased leave arrangements enable employees to purchase additional annual leave and received a pro rata annualised salary.

For example, 46/52 — instead of working 52 weeks on full pay (including 4 weeks annual leave), employees work 46 weeks with an annualised salary.

Employees take 10 weeks leave (4 weeks paid annual leave and 6 weeks purchased leave) without loss of employment continuity. Purchased leave often enables employees with family responsibilities to increase annual leave to match school holidays or to meet other family or life commitments. Other examples can include 51/52, 50/52.

Success factors:

• leave is planned so staffing arrangements can be maximised
• work is re-organised to ensure agreed outcomes and outputs are met
• employees undertake prior financial planning to understand proportionate fortnightly salary reduction and superannuation implications

Proposal should include:

• benefit to the school
• benefits to the individual
• proposed leave time(s)
• work re-organisation plans showing match between workflow and leave
• details of who is affected
• proposal for coverage during the absence

Advantages:

• attraction and retention of skilled staff
• may assist with covering work load peaks and troughs
• enables employees to better combine work and family life
• reduces stress associated with care responsibilities at times such as school holidays
• enables extended leave while retaining job level and most entitlements
• improved employee productivity and satisfaction

Disadvantages:

• nature of the work may make short–term replacement difficult
• effort or cost of recruiting short–term replacement staff
• colleagues may perceive that they have additional workload during absences

Working remotely

Working remotely is working at an approved alternative work site, such as an employee’s home, for an agreed number of days a week, or hours a day. These arrangements would generally be on a regular basis. Facilities for telecommuting such as a computer terminal, a modem and internet access may be required.

Refer to the Working Remotely Guidelines and Flexible Work Agreement Template on the Resources tab for further information.

Success factors:

• benefits to the school can be demonstrated
• manager is comfortable with the arrangement and trusts the employee
• face-to-face contact requirements are flexible or can be time specific
• aspects of the job are better done in isolation and without interruption
• necessary technical support is available
• roles and responsibilities are clearly defined
• individual is independent, dependable and trustworthy and has good organisational and work scheduling skills
• individual is able to accept the need to be available in the workplace if required
• communication strategies are well considered
• working remotely employees have similar careers opportunities as their colleagues
• regular review of the arrangement

Proposal should include:

• benefits to the school
• work and time schedules
• clear description of roles and responsibilities
• communication plan
• review period
• equipment sourcing

Advantages:

• productivity improvement
• improved morale and motivation
• better use of time
• reduced travel
• retention of valued staff
• decreased absenteeism
• accelerated use of technology

Disadvantages:

• home office costs
• occupational health and safety assessment
• insurance and security assessment
• reduces face-to-face contact with work colleagues
• personal and professional isolation