We remind PSA members employed at the Department of Education, of your entitlement to flexible start and finish times and accrual of flex leave whether working remotely or at the office.

Throughout 2020/21, the PSA has continued to require the Department to uphold the provisions of your Flexible Working Agreement 2019 (the Flex Agreement). At our quarterly consultative meetings, informed by our members, the PSA has continued to report incidents where managers have given non-compliant directions and incorrect information to staff denying flex entitlements.

On 7 June 2021, the PSA put formal correspondence to the department including specific examples of incorrect managerial directions to staff about access to flex while working from home. The Department has undertaken to investigate these examples and to take appropriate action to ensure flex entitlements are maintained.

The PSA reminds members to maintain accurate timesheets recording your actual working hours (whether working from home or the office) and to reasonably accrue and request flex leave, as per the flex agreement.

Given staff have been directed to work from home, unless their work can only be done from an office location, the PSA provides members with the following advice:

1. Ensure you keep accurate records of actual hours worked, as your timesheet is an auditable record and any erring from this is a serious issue.
2. Transition of staff from office to home or vice versa, has nothing to do with access to flex time. If you are working from home, you should have the same access to flexible start and finish times and reasonable accrual of flex, as you would working from the office.
3. A direction that daily flex accrual is limited to thirty minutes when working from home, is not compliant with the Flexible Working Agreement. Management cannot arbitrarily impose this additional restriction, not contained in the agreement.
4. Management cannot simply quote “operational needs” to justify a blanket rule to deny employees access to the Crown Award condition of flexible hours. Operational needs can be met without imposing a flex time restriction of thirty minutes and it is a managerial responsibility to effectively manage teams to facilitate this.

If you have been advised that you are not allowed to access flexible start and finish times or accrue flex leave, please contact the PSA for assistance.

How to contact the PSA

You can stay connected with the PSA through your local workplace delegates and PSA Organiser.

You can also raise individual and collective issues with the PSA by contacting our Member Support Centre on 1300 772 679 or email

Interested in learning more about your Award and Flexible Working Agreement?

The PSA recently delivered a Lunch and Learn online training session to give staff a better understanding of their hard-won entitlements to Flexible Working Hours and the Award that sets their working conditions.

If you are interested in attending one of these or arranging one for your workplace contact your PSA Organiser Simone Scalmer directly by email

Staying connected with your Union while working from home

The PSA thanks our members for their hard work during this difficult time.

We remind you that we are here to assist and support you however we can during lockdown.

If you would like individual or collective assistance you can contact Member Support by calling 1300 772 679 or emailing

You can also contact PSA Organiser Simone Scalmer and arrange a workplace meeting online.

Do you know someone who is not a member?

You can support the work of the PSA to get better outcomes for everyone by asking your colleagues to JOIN