Right to flexible working arrangements
31 Jul 2008
Thanks to the Green Party a new employment right to request flexible working arrangements coming into effect on 1 July 2008. It was created by the passage last year of Sue Kedgley’s private members bill, the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007.
The new employment right gives employees with caring responsibilities the right to request flexible working arrangements. This can mean changing start and finish times, working from home, working ‘term time’, compressed working hours, or other arrangements that will enable an employee to better juggle the competing demands of paid employment and domestic care.
Research shows that when employees have more control over their working hours they are likely to be more motivated and productive, and that there will be less absenteeism, staff turnover, and stress related illness. Families and children will benefit too, if parents and care-givers are able to spend more time with them.
Any employee who is caring for another person and who has been employed by their employer for at least six months can make a written request for a flexible working arrangement.
To make a request simply write to your employer including the following information:
For more information on making a request follow the guidelines see:
http://www.dol.govt.nz/worklife/flexible/guidelines.asp#request-guidelin...
How flexible is your job?
Thanks to the Green Party a new employment right to request flexible working arrangements coming into effect on 1 July 2008. It was created by the passage last year of Sue Kedgley’s private members bill, the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007.
The new employment right
The new employment right gives employees with caring responsibilities the right to request flexible working arrangements. This can mean changing start and finish times, working from home, working ‘term time’, compressed working hours, or other arrangements that will enable an employee to better juggle the competing demands of paid employment and domestic care.
Employers will have a statutory duty to consider any such request seriously and seek to accommodate it in good faith. Employers can turn down a request if it cannot be reasonably accommodated.
Flexible working arrangements are win/win!
Research shows that when employees have more control over their working hours they are likely to be more motivated and productive, and that there will be less absenteeism, staff turnover, and stress related illness. Families and children will benefit too, if parents and care-givers are able to spend more time with them.
Making a request for a flexible working arrangement
Any employee who is caring for another person and who has been employed by their employer for at least six months can make a written request for a flexible working arrangement.
To make a request simply write to your employer including the following information:
- The date and your name
- That the request is made under the Employment Relations Amendment Act 2007, Part 6aa, Flexible Working Arrangements
- The change you would like, whether it is permanent or temporary and, if temporary, when it should end
- How the change will help you to provide care
- Any changes you think your employer would need to make to workplace arrangements if your request was approved.
- It would also be helpful to include the benefits to your employer of your proposed arrangement.
More information
For more information on making a request follow the guidelines see:
http://www.dol.govt.nz/worklife/flexible/guidelines.asp#request-guidelin...
To read the legislation see:
http://interim.legislation.govt.nz/browse_vw.asp?content-set=pal_statute...
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