• Since the Fair Work Act was introduced, approximately one in four respondents (26.32%) report that  management in their workplace has less flexibility to dismiss employees.
• Nearly four out of ten respondents (38.6%) report the Fair Work Act has made employee flexibility easier, and nearly half (47.37%) report no change. Only 10.53% say it’s made employee flexibility harder.
• Although more than four out of ten respondents (41.07%) report their organisation is taking more time to manage flexible employee arrangements, less than two out of ten (17.54%) report more time is spent negotiating with unions on flexibility arrangements.
• Around four out of ten respondents (40.35%) report more legal advice is needed in dealing with requests for flexibility arrangements and about the same proportion (42.11%) believe that will continue into the future.
• Nearly four out of ten respondents (39.29%) report more time is now spent keeping records relating to flexible working arrangements than previously.
• Even though employer refusals to grant requests for flexibility are not subject to appeal, more than seven out of ten respondents (71.93%) reported their organisation is likely to take those requests seriously with only 12.28% reporting they are not likely to do so.
• While more than eight out of ten respondents (82.14%) report the culture in their organisation does not insist on employees working to the clock, nearly four out of ten (37.5%) report the culture puts pressure on to work unpaid overtime hours.
• While seven out of ten respondents (70.1%) report senior management openly calls on employees to work sensible hours, six out of ten (61.4%) report that senior management does not model that behaviour

Source: www.ahri.com.au

If you are not sure how to respond to an employee’s request for flexibility in their role or have any other questions regarding flexibility in your organisation, give us a call on 07 5444 7771 and we’ll happily have a chat to you about your options.