Flexible working arrangements
On returning from his Christmas holiday in January 2011, former Tasmanian Premier David Bartlett announced his resignation from public office.
It took the simple journal entries of his seven year old son to convince the former Premier to step away his role in public office and again brought the issue of seeking to achieve a work/life balance back into the public domain. Whilst stepping away from employment is not an option for many of us, the opportunity to explore more flexible working arrangements may be.
Flexibility in the workplace may be sought for a variety of reasons whether it be to care for family members, to provide greater opportunities to engage in hobbies and community activities, to avoid long commutes, to transition to retirement or to pursue additional education opportunities.
By approaching flexibility in the workplace proactively, flexible arrangements can be designed which suit the needs of both the individual and the business. A flexible workplace can allow employers and employees to decide on working arrangements which are better tailored to suit staff needs including job sharing, flexible start and finish hours, part-time arrangements, staff participation in rostering arrangements, working from home, purchasing extra annual leave, career breaks and extended unpaid leave.
Flexible work practices can deliver benefits to both employers and employees. Individual flexibility can lead to increased job satisfaction, a greater sense of self-worth and improved morale, and can help attract and retain skilled and valuable staff thereby benefitting workplace productivity.
The Federal Government’s Job Access website – How to Negotiate a Flexible Working Environment gives examples of flexible work arrangements and outlines steps on how to introduce flexible arrangements in an organisation. Additionally, the Fair Work Ombudsman has published ‘Best Practice Guide, Use of Individual Flexibility Arrangements’ a publication explaining how employees and employers can best utilise flexible work practices.
Workplace flexibility is more than a change in schedule. It is a way of thinking and working that seeks to help employees make their best contributions in the workplace and simultaneously manage their personal lives.
Achieving an improved work/life balance, so keenly sought by many today requires businesses to engage their employees. Only through this engagement can businesses identify innovative solutions and provide the tools necessary for management to implement these arrangements.