The policy applies to continuing and fixed-term staff of Federation University (academic and general staff) seeking to enter into a fixed tenure arrangement to carry out part of their duties from an approved home work location for a specified period of time.

TAFE Teaching staff are provided with flexible work options in accordance with the attendance clause in the Federation University TAFE Teaching Staff Agreement 2019.

Our central focus is our students and we must endeavour to ensure our policy, processes and culture are student-centric. It is therefore the responsibility of all staff, to ensure students receive a positive, vibrant and fulfilling experience in all interactions with the University.

In addition, we recognise that a positive workplace and team culture supports the work/life integration of our staff. It encourages diversity and inclusion, recognising needs at different stages of their careers from family to culture and community commitments.

The overall purpose is to optimise the contribution of staff to achieve both personal and professional outcomes, in an environment that is cooperative, supportive, and efficient.

This policy is for staff seeking to enter into a Flexible Work Agreement. The overarching policy relates to the Flexible Work Procedure and will assist you and your manager/supervisor to clearly set in place a Flexible Work Agreement.

The University recognises the factors contributing to work/life integration may change over time. To support you, the University is committed to providing flexibility options to accommodate various priorities. These include (but are not limited to):

Occasional ad-hoc requests should be managed at the local level between you and your manager/supervisor with a student-centric approach to decisions.

Where you are seeking to enter into a Flexible Work Agreement, you must consult with your manager/supervisor and take into account the following:

Eligibility

You manager/supervisor must review the request for a Flexible Work Agreement in the context of the following:

•       suitability of your position at the University and your reasons for requesting to work from an approved home work location;

•       effect on co-workers, students and customers of the University;

•       proposed methods for monitoring and assessing your work;

•       days and hours of the proposed Flexible Work Agreement in the context of your overall working days and hours in accordance with relevant Agreements;

•       having a suitable approved home work location;

•       having equipment and resources necessary to effectively work from home; and

•       University’s Equal Opportunity and Valuing Diversity Policy and the broader responsibility to consider flexible working arrangements (where the request is made in respect to family responsibilities) under the Victorian Equal Opportunity Act 2010.

Your manager/supervisor may consider and approve up to two days per week (full-time staff) or one day per week (part-time staff) working from an approved home work location.

If your time fraction is 0.4 or less, you may be able to request to work up to 40% of your contracted hours from an approved home work location.

Your manager should consider the nature and requirements of your work duties and ability to work autonomously. Such duties would generally be definable as office-based tasks involving minimum face-to-face contact with other staff, students, or customers of the University. If your role requires close supervision or close interaction with other staff, it may not be suitable for a Flexible Work Agreement.

Duties involving manual handling are unlikely to be suitable for a Flexible Work Agreement.

You and your manager/supervisor may seek advice from your HR Business Partner or Diversity and Inclusion Partner regarding the suitability of the proposed Flexible Work Agreement.

A Flexible Work Agreement may assist you to meet carer responsibilities or manage a short-term health issue. However, you must be able to carry out your work at the approved home work location as efficiently and effectively as a staff member working on campus.

If you are seeking a Flexible Work Agreement to assist with managing a short-term health issue, you must provide written advice from a recognised medical practitioner (i.e. formal letter or detailed medical certificate) also noting the duration of the flexibility required.

Each request for a Flexible Work Agreement must be considered on a case-by-case basis and approved by your Dean/Director in accordance with relevant Agreements.

As part of the approval process, the terms and conditions of the Flexible Work Agreement must be adhered to in accordance with the Flexible Work Practices Procedure.

All university policies and procedures

Related Items

•       Creating a mentally healthier workplace checklist

Forms

The Vice-Chancellor is ultimately responsible for the implementation of this Policy and Procedure.

The Director, People and Culture is responsible for overseeing the provision of support and advice on this Policy and Procedure.

All University staff are responsible for complying with this Procedure.

This procedure will be communicated throughout the University community via:

1.    A FedNews announcement and on the ‘Recently Approved Documents’ page on the University’s Policy Central website.

2.    Distribution of emails to Deans/Directors/Managers/University staff.

3.    Documentation distribution, e.g. posters, brochures.

4.    Notification to Schools.

This procedure will be implemented throughout the University via

1.    An Announcement Notice under 'FedNews' on the ‘FedUni’ website and through the University Policy - ‘Recently Approved Documents’ webpage to alert the University-wide community of the approved Procedure; and

2.    Inclusion on the University's online Policy Library.

3.    Information and training sessions advertised via FedNews and provided by People and Culture to Deans, Directors and Managers.