From January 1, 2010, a new National Employment Standard will become law in Australia. The standard gives some employees the formal right to request (r2r) some form of flexibility in their work (e.g. part time hours, flexible hours, work from home, etc.). Like many laws it is complex. The law doesn’t apply to every situation. Nor does it guarantee that a request will be granted – just that it will get a hearing. Nevertheless, the fact that flexibility is formally on the agenda of national employment laws is a big step forward.
For full coverage of the laws and their implications for both employers and employees, we highly recommend you check out an excellent website, www.workplaceflexibility.com.au, that has been set up by Aequus Partners. The site includes a very thorough explanatory article, a portal page dedicated to the new laws and a separate toolkit for managers.
David Brewster is the editor of Your Balance. He is a Melbourne-based freelance writer and editor, writing on work, society, management and politics. He is also the author of two books. www.davidbrewster.com
