Flexible work options

Flexible work arrangements allow you to vary your work arrangements to provide greater flexibility to balance your personal and professional lives.

Make a request

Talk to your supervisor and HR team about the options you would like to take. There are a variety of flexible working arrangements available, including working from home.

For more information about making a request and what to consider, take a look at these guides:

• Flexible work at UQ (PDF, 59.7 KB)
• Working from home: staff and supervisor considerations (PDF, 287.5 KB).

You do not need to meet the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) 'right to request conditions' to make a request that follows the Flexible Working Arrangements Policy [5.55.07].

Type of arrangements

UQ provides a number of flexible work arrangements for staff:

• flexible working hours [5.55.05]
• telecommuting (working from home) [5.55.11]
• purchased leave [5.55.10]
• annualised salary program (voluntary variable weeks) Procedures and Forms [5.55.08]
• part-time work [5.55.09]
• job sharing [5.30.05].

Under the Leave Entitlements Policy [5.60.01], if you have family and carer responsibilities, you may apply for:

• recreational leave [5.60.10]
• leave without pay [5.60.6]
• parental leave [5.60.09]
• special leave [5.60.08]
• personal leave [5.60.03]
• compassionate leave [5.60.13].

Fair Work Act requests

When a request is submitted under the provisions of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), UQ must provide a written response within 21 days of receiving the request. Under the right to request flexible working arrangements, requests can only be refused on ‘reasonable business grounds’.

In line with Section 65, Division 4 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), you may request a change to your working arrangements if you:

• are the parent, or have responsibility for the care, of a child who is of school age or younger
• are a carer (within the meaning of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cth))
• have a disability
• are 55 years or older
• are experiencing violence from a member of your family
• provide care or support to a member of your immediate family or household, who requires care or support because they are experiencing violence from their family.

You must have been regularly and systematically employed for the previous 12 months and be likely to continue working regularly with the same employer.

The National Employment Standards (NES) form the legal framework that entitles employees to request flexible work arrangements. See the Fair Work Ombudsman’s advice about your right to request flexible working arrangements for more information.

Benefits

If done properly, flexible work arrangements can:

• increase staff productivity
• improve staff recruitment and retention
• provide equal opportunities and dismantle potential barriers to the workplace
• improve staff well-being
• improve teamwork
• increase job satisfaction
• meet legislative requirements.