Flexible work rights help all workers – thanks to union women
Have you ever struggled to manage your workload and responsibilities at home? Flexibility at work is especially important for workers who need to manage care responsibilities or a health condition. A third of workers in Australia now have Flexible Work Agreements (FWA) which has contributed to a higher rate of participation and opportunities for women in the workforce. But flexibility isn’t just for mothers. Unions fought for workers to have the right to request flexible work, whether that’s for religious observance, caring responsibilities, disability, pregnancy, experiencing family and domestic violence, or being over 55. If work or home have become hard to manage, flexibility could be just what you need.
Flexibility is less stigmatised than it used to be
Asking for variation of hours from your employer used to be stigmatised, and many workers were made to feel guilty about it. But a surge in working from home during COVID has helped normalise flexibility in your place of work and hours of work.
‘Flexible work’ was imagined and campaigned for by women workers over decades, then finally won and added to the National Employment Standards (NES) in 2009. It’s known to improve work performance and overall well-being. Here’s how flexibility can help you and your work, who can apply for it and how to approach your employer about it.
Casual work not as flexible as it sounds? Going permanent could be your answer
Many casual workers know that, even though there’s some flexibility in the hours and shifts you can do, it’s not as secure as we’d like. If you’re a casual worker, you can become permanent if you need to access personal and carers leave. Learn more about casual workers’ rights to permanency in our blog: Casual workers’ rights you should know or, if you’re already an UWU member, check out our Member Workshop on the topic.
We need more men to use FWAs
Leave is important, but doesn’t replace flexibility
There are many types of leave that workers are entitled to and need to take from time to time. Annual Leave is also important for work-life balance, so it should be used preferably for rest and recreation. Parental Leave, Carer’s Leave and Personal Leave are essential, especially for workers who have a young family or elderly relatives with high care needs. These types of leave are used heavily by women workers and are only starting to be used more by men in families where care responsibilities are shared more equally.
But as we know, leave runs out, or it’s not always easy to take for an hour here or there. That’s where FWAs come in.
Who is entitled to flexible work?
If you have caring responsibilities of children or elderly relatives, you can request flexible work. You can also sometimes request flexibility if you yourself have special needs, are unwell or in some cases if you’re undertaking study or training. See Fair Work to learn more about eligibility.
What does flexible work look like?
Flexibility can be achieved in a whole lot of ways, and it won’t always mean a loss of income. Here are some possibilities:
Flexible hours
Vary your start and finish times, eg. to fit with school pick-up times or medical appointments.
Compressed working week
Work the same number of working hours in a week over fewer days, eg. working 10-hour days for 4 days per week, instead of 8 hours for 5 days per week.
Time-in-lieu or flexi-time
Work extra hours and then claim those hours as time off on another day.
WFH or telecommuting
Work at a more convenient location for you than your official place of work.
Part-time work
Agree to work less than full-time hours, so you have regular (unpaid non-working) days off during the week for a fixed period of time. This is called a Flexible Work Agreement (FWA). Find out more about FWAs in our member workshop.
Job sharing
Share your job with a co-worker so a full-time position is filled by both of you.
If you’re interested in a more flexible working arrangement for yourself, whether it’s a period of part time work or changing start and finish times, ask your union representative how to go about it or call our Member Rights Team.
You can learn more about FWAs in this excerpt from our Member Workshop: Women At Work.
If you’re interested in learning more about your rights at work, sign up to our mail list.