Flexible Working Policy

1. Why do we have a flexible working arrangements policy?

(a) The Digital Project Corporation Pty Ltd understands that some employees may wish to work flexibly to help balance their personal needs while also meeting business requirements.

(b) This policy sets out how The Digital Project Corporation Pty Ltd handles requests for flexible working arrangements.

 

2. Does this policy apply to you?

(a) You are eligible to request a flexible working arrangement if you have been employed by us:

(i) On a full-time basis

(ii) On a part-time basis

(iii) On a casual basis

(b) You may also be eligible to make a request for a flexible working arrangement under section 65 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) or under an applicable industrial instrument.

(c) The Digital Project Corporation Pty Ltd will review your request and we may accept it as proposed or amended as agreed, or your request may be declined, including on reasonable business grounds.

 

3. What is a flexible working arrangement?

(a) Flexibility can take many forms, depending on your needs and the needs of the business.

(b) Flexibility can be informal or irregular. For example, you may wish to use different types of leave to facilitate a personal responsibility, occasional changes to working times for visits by tradespeople or to attend school events or to attend a sporting or leisure event. This type of flexibility is arranged with your line manager and is not dealt with under this policy.

(c) This policy deals with formal and regular arrangements and may include (but is not limited to) these types of arrangements:

(i) reducing or varying your working hours (eg, a request to work fewer hours per week);

(ii) reducing or varying the times you are required to work (eg, to work on different days, or to start earlier or later in the day);

(iii) working at a place other than your usual workplace or at another of our business locations, for some or all of your working time.

(A) If your request is to work from home, please refer to the The Digital Project Corporation Pty Ltd's Home Working Policy.

(d) Other examples of flexibility could include:

(i) flexi-time;

(ii) compressed working hours (ie, you work 5 days over 4);

(iii) time in lieu;

(iv) job-sharing;

(v) additional purchased leave;

(vi) taking a rostered day off as 2 half days;

(vii) transitioning gradual increases or decreases in hours (eg, after parental leave or when transitioning to retirement); or

(viii) using unpaid leave.

 

4. Your role and working flexibly

(a) You are encouraged to be realistic about your proposed flexible working arrangement.

(b) You should think about your personal needs but must recognise that while the arrangement suits you, it also needs to suit the needs of your colleagues and our business.

(c) Any arrangement must also be safe for you and others in the workplace.

 

5. Making a flexible working request

(a) Your first step before making a formal written request for a flexible working arrangement is to speak with line manager to explain what you are seeking to do and why. This will provide the opportunity for you and line manager to work together to explore the options.

(b) You must then formalise your request by submitting the completed Flexible Working Request Form on our Intranet.

(c) It is helpful to give line manager and us as much information and detail as possible about your current working pattern, the flexible working changes you are requesting and why.

 

6. Considering your request for a flexible working arrangement

(a) We will consider your request carefully, looking at the benefits of the requested changes for you and us, and the consequences for you of refusing this request, and weighing these against any adverse business impact of implementing the changes.

(b) Where necessary, or when required to by section 65A of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), we will organise a further consultation with you about your flexible working request. The meeting may be to discuss alternative or modified arrangements to accommodate your circumstances, or to provide reasons for rejection. We will genuinely attempt to reach an agreement with you about making changes to your working arrangements to accommodate your circumstances.

(c) We will provide you with a written response within 21 days of receiving your written request.

 

7. Approving your request

(a) If we approve your request, we will write to you to confirm:

(i) the new flexible working pattern;

(ii) its duration (ie, it may be an ongoing arrangement or for a fixed period);

(iii) whether there will be a trial period;

(iv) ongoing monitoring and review arrangements; and

(v) any other steps that will be required by us.

(b) You will be asked to sign and return a copy of the letter or contract to confirm your agreement.

 

8. Refusing your request

(a) We may refuse your request for a flexible working arrangement on reasonable business grounds. If we refuse your request, we will provide you with the reasons for that decision.

(b) We may refuse your request for any of these reasons (or for another business reason):

(i) safety concerns;

(ii) the burden of additional costs;

(iii) detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand;

(iv) inability to re-organise work among existing staff;

(v) inability to recruit additional staff;

(vi) detrimental impact on quality;

(vii) detrimental impact on performance;

(viii) insufficiency of work during the periods you propose to work;

(ix) planned structural changes; or

(x) other reasonable business grounds.

(c) If we refuse your request, we will also consider making alternative changes to your working arrangements in order to to accommodate your circumstances, and we will communicate whether we decided to proceed with such such changes or not, and the nature of any such changes.

 

9. Monitoring and review

(a) Your flexible working arrangement will be monitored and reviewed on a regular and ongoing basis.

(b) It is expected that you will actively participate in all reviews and that you will be willing to address any concerns or difficulties, including to facilitate changes as required or agreed with us.

(c) If we decide your flexible working arrangement is not operating effectively, we may decide to withdraw it or amend it at our discretion.

(d) More details about monitoring and review arrangements as they apply to an individual employee will be set out in the letter referred to in section 7 of this policy.

 

10. Changes to this policy

(a) This policy may be amended or withdrawn by us at our discretion and does not form part of your contract of employment.