Flexible working hours: Are your rights being eroded? - Public Service Association

Flexible working hours: Are your rights being eroded?

Flexible Working Hours - Oct 2020 (PDF version)

Recent discussions with PSA delegates have alerted your union to the fact the Department does not appear to want employees in the Workers Compensation Commission to utilise flexible working arrangements in the way that they did prior to COVID-19.

We understand that members are:

  • being directed to only work seven hours per day
  • being required to obtain advance approval for any instance where they are working more or less than seven hours per day
  • being advised that Flex Time entitlements are being suspended due to COVID-19 or working from home.

In a recent ruling in the Industrial Relations Commission with regards to Flex Time in NSW Police, it was clear the Commission took a dim view of attempts to artificially limit access to flexible working arrangements. We have no reason to think they would not take an equally dim view of the Department of Customer Service doing the same thing.

Your union has been discussing with your employer that being concerned about work/life balance is not an excuse to remove access to the FWHA. Neither is concern about unsupervised work. What your employer should be concerned about is output.

If the work is available, then you should be able to work flexibly in order to complete it.

The PSA will take this matter to the Peak Joint Consultative Committee, which is attended by the Secretary, Emma Hogan. In the meantime, we encourage all members to accurately record their hours of work, and if members are not being provided access to flex to raise their individual circumstances with the Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679 so we can assist.

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