University of Adelaide Enterprise Agreement 2010-2013

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4.14 voluntary Flexible Work Arrangements

A voluntary flexible work arrangement means a variation of working hours or arrangements as described in this clause. Only one voluntary flexible work arrangement can apply at any time.

4.14.1 General Conditions

a) All staff members (excluding those on casual contracts) are eligible to apply to their supervisor in writing to participate in a flexible work arrangement. Participation is voluntary and at the request of the staff member.
b) Flexible work arrangements will only be available where operational requirements allow. A voluntary flexible work arrangement must be documented and include a review period.
c) You or the University may initiate in writing the termination of a flexible work arrangement in accordance with clause 4.14.14 (a).
d) You are encouraged to seek financial advice before entering into any Voluntary Flexible Working Arrangement.

Types of Voluntary Flexible Work Arrangements

4.14.2 Reduced Employment Fraction

a) You may request to reduce the time for which you are employed, either as a reduction from full-time to part-time, or a reduction in the part-time fraction for which you are employed.
b) A reduction in the time for which you are employed is for an agreed period of time. Superannuation benefits are affected by a reduction in employment fraction and the superannuation fund provides options for maintaining or varying contribution rates.

4.14.3 Reduced Employment Fraction for Care of Child

You may elect to reduce your full-time hours, or if already working part-time, reduce your part-time hours, for the purpose of caring for one or more children by applying to reduce your hours.

 
a) Eligibility

i. You must have worked for the University for at least one (1) year of service before making an application to reduce your hours.
ii. The child or children for whom the leave is requested will normally be under 19 years of age and be those for whom you are the primary carer.
iii. The hours reduced would not normally be less than half-time (50% fractional time).
iv. The reduced hours are for a specific period or periods up to a total of 10 years, or to the end of the fixed-term contract period.
v. Managers have an obligation to make every effort to accommodate the application. Such application will only be refused on reasonable operational grounds.

b) Conditions for Reduced Hours - Care Of Child

i. The attendance agreed on at the time of application may be altered by agreement of both you and the Head of School/Branch and in the light of any ongoing contracts of employment held in relation to the other part of the position, if applicable.
ii. If your hours are reduced for the care of children you may apply for appointment or transfer to a vacant position(s) and you shall not be deprived of appointment or transfer to such position solely on the basis of being on reduced hours for the care of children.
iii. If you apply for and are appointed to another continuing position which is part-time, while your hours are reduced for the care of children, you forfeit the right to an automatic return to full-time employment.
iv. Personal, annual and long service leave entitlements shall accrue at the pro-rata rate. Superannuation benefits will be impacted during the period of reduced hours. You are encouraged to seek financial advice before entering into this arrangement.

c) Return to full-time work and extension of Reduced Hours

i. It is your responsibility to notify the Head of School/Branch of your intention to return to full-time work or extend the period of reduced hours three months before the end of the period of reduced hours.
ii. You may negotiate with the Head of School/Branch for an earlier return to work or, where the reduced hours is for a period less than ten years in duration, for an extension of such reduced hours provided that the total period does not exceed ten years.
iii. Any change made as a result of these negotiations would not normally take place until three months from the date of agreement.

4.14.4 Reduced Hours for Care of a Family Member

a) You may apply to reduce your hours for the care of a family member for up to two years where you can demonstrate that you are the primary caregiver and the family member requires extensive personal care. Your hours will not normally be reduced to less than 0.5 full-time equivalent (FTE).

4.14.5 Purchased Leave Arrangements

a) You may apply to enter into an arrangement to purchase an additional four (4) weeks leave (48/52).
b) This option provides four weeks' additional leave per year, to be taken at a time mutually convenient to you and the University. This arrangement will provide you with additional leave within a 12 month period, in return for a pro-rata reduction in your salary.
c) Your salary is averaged over the year (52 weeks) to allow you to be paid during the extra weeks leave. A 48/52 arrangement will result in a reduction in salary in return for an additional four (4) weeks leave.
d) All purchased leave in the 48/52 option must be taken in the year it is due. At the time of application, you will need to advise the actual dates intended to be taken as purchased leave.
e) In the event that you cannot take the purchased leave due to operational requirements, you will be reimbursed for the untaken purchased leave in a lump sum.
f) Purchased leave must be booked in weeks with a minimum of one week blocks.
g) All leave entitlements that accrue during the term of your participation in a flexible work arrangement will be paid on a pro rata basis, with reduced payment for accrued leave but not a reduction in the period of leave.

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4.14.6 Compressed Weeks

Compressed weeks allow you to work less days per fortnight while working the same total number of hours per fortnight. Compressed weeks are not designed to increase or reduce the total hours worked, so there are no impacts on leave entitlements or superannuation.

a) The only compressed weeks arrangement available is for the purpose of working a nine-day fortnight.
b) The maximum number of work hours per day permissible in a compressed weeks arrangement is 9.5 hours.
c) Each compressed weeks arrangement is to be initiated for a trial period of up to six (6) months. If the trial is successful, the compressed weeks arrangements can be extended to twelve-month periods.
d) The compressed weeks arrangement must specify the hours to be worked on each of the duty days. The working arrangements may provide for:

i. specified start, finish and break times for the duty days; or
ii. a specified bandwidth and core time, with a set number of hours to be worked on each duty day; or
iii. a specified bandwidth, core time, and/or required attendance time(s), with the number of hours to be worked specified for individual duty days.

e) Where the arrangements provide flexibility in start and finish times, the agreement may also specify:

i. a set core time; and/or
ii. required attendance time on one or more of the duty days.

4.14.7 Compressed Weeks and Overtime

a) In general, if you work a compressed week, you should not work overtime.
b) If, in exceptional circumstances, overtime is approved for hours worked in excess of your nominated normal hours for the day, the normal overtime provisions apply.
c) A minimum of eight (8) hours in any one day or 73.5 hours per fortnight must be worked prior to the commencement of overtime.

4.14.8 Working on a Non-Duty Day

When you are required to work on a non-duty day, the hours worked are not to be treated as overtime. The equivalent of the time worked must be taken off at a mutually convenient time, negotiated between you and your supervisor.

4.14.9 Compressed Weeks and Public Holidays

The work hours specified for that particular day are to be recorded for a public holiday. The number of hours you would normally have worked in your compressed weeks agreement on a particular day must be recorded as annual leave if you are on annual leave that day.

4.14.10 Compressed Weeks and Personal Leave

The compressed weeks agreement does not affect your entitlement to personal leave. Personal leave must be applied for in hours rather than days. If you require personal leave, the number of working hours specified in the compressed weeks agreement is to be recorded as personal leave.

For example:

If you have nominated to work nine (9) hours on a Monday as part of your compressed weeks agreement and are sick on that Monday, nine (9) hours will be recorded as personal leave.

If you are sick on your nominated non-duty day, then no personal leave is recorded for that day.

Where you work part of a duty day and then take personal leave, the time to be recorded as personal leave will be calculated by deducting the time worked from the time specified to be worked on that day.

4.14.11 How to Apply for a Voluntary Flexible Work Arrangement

a) All applications to participate in a voluntary flexible working arrangement must be made in writing to your supervisor.
b) The application must specify:

i. the arrangement requested;
ii. the effect you think the arrangement would have on your Branch/School, your colleagues, and your current work allocation, and how any adverse affects may be able to be addressed; and
iii. the preferred date for implementing the arrangement, allowing sufficient time for replacement staff to be organised if required.

c) Where applicable the application should include a calendar that clearly indicates the work pattern proposed. An application to work compressed weeks must identify the days and hours to be worked.
d) A flexible work arrangement requires approval by your appropriate supervisor in accordance with the Vice-Chancellor's delegations.
e) If an application is approved, it will be reviewed annually by your supervisor to ensure the arrangement is operating in a manner intended by this procedure.
f) Approval by the University for you to participate in a flexible work arrangement will depend on balancing operational requirements with increased flexibility options and choice for staff members.

4.14.12 Record Keeping

a) Your participation in any flexible work arrangement will be recorded in writing and a copy of this record will be maintained on your personnel file.

4.14.13 Financial Implications

a) You are encouraged to obtain independent advice about any financial implications that may arise from a flexible work arrangement.

4.14.14 Termination of a Flexible Working Arrangement

a) Either you or the University may initiate in writing the termination of a flexible work arrangement with at least the following notice period:

b) If the Voluntary Flexible Working Arrangement is to support caring responsibilities, the University will give genuine consideration to a longer notice period.
c) If a flexible work arrangement is terminated for any reason prior to the completion of the agreed period, payment will be made by either the University or you to balance any shortfall (where applicable).
d) If your employment is terminated during a reduction of employment fraction under this clause for reasons of redundancy, the redundancy shall be calculated proportional to the service fraction over the total period of employment.
e) You may seek a review through the Staff Complaints Policy (as amended or replaced) if your flexible work arrangement is not approved.

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