Thank you to all of our members who voted in the ballot relating to the Flexible Working Hours Agreement (FWHA) proposal.

As you may be aware from our recent communications there were factors of concern relating to the proposal. However, the alternative put forward by the employer was to revert back to the flexible working hours arrangements reflected in clause 21 of the Crown Employees (Public Service Conditions of Employment) Reviewed Award 2009.

The vote indicated there were diverse views on the matter. However, at the close of the ballot members have voted in favour of the proposal and this will come into effect in the middle of next year.

The PSA thanks the delegates who advocated on members’ behalf in relation to those matters. They strongly argued, alongside the PSA, on every aspect of this agreement.

The PSA respects the views of our members and we recognise there are opposing views. These views were factored into the agreement’s processes of review and ongoing communication with management to ensure employees’ hours of work are managed appropriately.

We will want to hear from members in relation to concerns that may arise once the arrangements are in place.

And we do not see this ballot as the end of the story: what matters is how the FWHA will be used.

A FWHA is not a tool to cause employees to work beyond their contracted hours. It should be used to balance your work life with your life outside and both should be improved by flexible working arrangements. If that is not the case there is a problem.