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Flexible Working procedure

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NOTE: All flexible work arrangements are subject to evolving advice or directives from the State Government. For further information visit the  Campus Reactivation site.

Section 1 - Preamble

(1) This Procedure is effective from 15 June 2021.

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Section 2 - Purpose

(2) This Procedure outlines the range of flexible work arrangements available at the University and the ways in which these mutually beneficial arrangements can apply and be managed.

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Section 3 - Scope

(3) This Procedure applies to all staff of the University. For staff employed on Senior Staff Performance Contracts, this Procedure applies subject to clause 19 of the Deakin University Enterprise Agreement 2017 (EA).

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Section 4 - Policy

(4) This Procedure is pursuant to the Employment of Staff policy.

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Section 5 - Procedure

(5) There are a range of flexible work arrangements that, subject to the operational requirements of the University, managers can agree to for their staff:

  1. blended work arrangements (working from a blend of on-campus and off-campus locations – see clauses 11-18)
  2. informal and ad hoc changes of hours to accommodate appointments or other commitments;
  3. varying start and finish times;
  4. reduced time fraction (part-time) on a temporary or permanent basis;
  5. job share opportunities;
  6. accessing flexible leave arrangements including purchased recreational leave, parental leave, personal leave, leave without pay, study leave, volunteering leave, gender affirmation leave and domestic and family violence leave; and
  7. for Professional staff, flexible work patterns and hours in accordance with the EA (part-year or annualised employment).

(6) More than one flexible work arrangement is able to be requested by staff and supported by managers at any time during a staff member’s employment.

(7) Flexible work arrangements can be short term or longer term and are determined by local area management.

(8) Discussions on flexible work arrangements should occur as part of DeakinAchieve conversations, as well as regular conversations between staff and managers. Managers should also consider what flexible work arrangements can be offered as part of the recruitment of new staff.

(9) Flexible work arrangements are sometimes experimental and are subject to change and should be regularly reviewed by managers and staff to ensure they continue to meet the needs of the individual, team and University. Flexible work arrangements that are able to be supported by a manager may be different for different staff.

(10) Further information in relation to:

  1. flexible work arrangements can be found on DeakinHub
  2. pre-retirement conversions is set out in the Leaving Deakin procedure.

Blended Working Arrangements

(11) Blended working means staff will be able to work from a blend of locations. For most staff, this consists of a combination of on-campus locations and working from home or another off-campus location.

(12) The guiding principle is that all staff will work on-campus for at least 60% of their time, with up to 40% of their time working at home or another off-campus location.

(13) Blended work arrangements are determined by local area management with individual staff members and as teams.

(14) All Blended work arrangements:

  1. must meet the operational needs of the University and expectations of a staff member’s role;
  2. must consider the extent to which a greater portion than 60% may be required on campus for certain roles or teams on a regular or temporary basis, or any other flexible application of the guiding principle;
  3. must consider the individual and collective achievement, productivity, engagement and wellbeing needs of staff and teams; and
  4. must consider the on-campus experience of our students and staff, by providing opportunities to connect virtually and in person, foster connections and experience planned and incidental learning and discussion.

(15) As part of enabling blended working arrangements the University provides access to information and communication technology to enable staff to stay connected whether they are working at another University campus, from home or anywhere else.

(16) Off-campus locations where blended working can be undertaken, including working from home, must support safe and productive work. The University is able to direct a staff member to work at another location where any risk to safety or productivity is considered to exist. Further information in relation to supporting staff to work effectively and safely from home can be found on DeakinHub.

(17) There is no provision for staff to permanently work from Deakin Downtown as an alternative to, or substitute for, working on campus.

(18) If a manager or staff member requires support as part of their blended work arrangement conversations they should speak to their Head of Organisational area and/or their HR Business Partner.

Requesting Flexible Work Arrangements (other than Blended Working)

(19) Staff are supported to raise a request for one or more other flexible work arrangements with their manager.

(20) A manager should assess any requests with an inclusive, transparent and fair approach with the aim of working towards a mutually beneficial outcome for the staff member and the University.

(21) Any request by a staff member for any flexible work arrangement will be considered by their manager within a reasonable timeframe, with a decision made no longer than 21 days from receipt of the request.

(22) In considering flexible work arrangement requests, managers should take into account:

  1. the requirements of the staff member’s role, and any impact on their productivity, team and work area needs and the needs of any other stakeholders;
  2. the benefits and needs of the staff member in supporting the request for flexibility;
  3. the University’s commitment to flexible work arrangements and commitment to increase the participation of women in leadership roles as detailed in the Gender Equity Plan;
  4. the short term or longer-term nature of the flexible work arrangements and when and how often it will be reviewed; and
  5. any obligations the University has in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009 (see clause 26).

(23) If the staff member or manager requires further advice and support in relation to a flexible work arrangement request, they can discuss this with their Head of Organisational Area and/or their HR Business Partner.

(24) If a mutually beneficial flexible work arrangement is not immediately achievable, the manager should propose a timeframe in the future for when flexible work arrangement options can be revisited. The staff member may also seek a review of the request for a flexible work arrangement by the Executive Director, Human Resources.

(25) The Executive Director, Human Resources or nominee may, in consultation with the staff member and the manager;

  1. confirm the manager’s decision;
  2. reconsider the manager’s response to the request;
  3. propose an alternate flexible work arrangement; or
  4. encourage further exploration of other flexible work arrangements by the manager and staff member.

(26) Given the mutual benefits of flexibility, the University is committed to seeking to accommodate requests by staff where possible. In addition, in accordance with the Fair Work Act 2009 the University will ensure that if the staff member requesting the flexible work arrangement has been employed by the University for more than 12 months and they are:

  1. a parent, or have responsibility for the care, of a child who is of school age or younger; or
  2. a carer within the meaning of the Carer Recognition Act 2010; or
  3. have a disability; or
  4. 55 or older; or
  5. experiencing violence from a member of their family, or
  6. provide care or support to a member of their immediate family or household, who requires care or support because they are experiencing violence from their family 
the University meets its legislative obligation to respond in writing to these staff members within 21 days.

(27) Managers who receive a request from these staff for a flexible work arrangement should review the further information available on DeakinHub and seek immediate advice from their HR Business Partner.

Recording a flexible work arrangement

(28) Where an agreed flexible work arrangement is required to be recorded in DeakinPeople (for example a reduction in time fraction or part-year employment) then the manager must immediately advise HR Central of this arrangement.

(29) All other flexible work arrangements are managed by local area management. Flexible work arrangements must be discussed and reviewed regularly by managers as part of ongoing and regular conversations, and as part of a staff member’s DeakinAchieve discussions.

Managing caring responsibilities

(30) The University encourages staff to explore the flexible working options available to help staff manage their caring and additional responsibilities.

(31) Staff are responsible for ensuring that any child or other dependent care arrangements that are in place whilst working from home do not impact their productivity and ability to perform their role.

(32) Further information is available in relation to:

  1. managing ongoing caring responsibilities in a blended working environment
  2. parental leave and options for parents.

(33) The University is an accredited breastfeeding friendly workplace. Staff will be supported by their manager with flexible arrangements to support breastfeeding, including time off to breastfeed and/or flexible meal breaks and work commencement and finishing times. Breastfeeding facilities are available at all campuses.

(34) A staff member may request permission to bring a child on campus for a limited period of time. Approval of any such arrangement is at the discretion of the staff member’s manager. A manager may approve the request in the following circumstances:

  1. the child will be under the direct personal supervision of a parent or guardian at all times including at any campus catering facility or University Library;
  2. the child will not enter workshops, laboratories, special purpose classrooms, building sites or other spaces with potentially dangerous equipment;
  3. the child does not have an infectious medical condition;
  4. the child’s attendance is in line with University regulations, policies and procedures and the directives of the University; and
  5. the attendance of the child is consistent with the University’s Child Safety policy.
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Section 6 - Definitions

(35) For the purpose of this Procedure:

  1. carer: is a person on whom another person is wholly or substantially dependent for ongoing care and attention, or who shares ongoing daily care substantially equally with another person, other than a person who provides that care and attention wholly or substantially on a commercial basis.
  2. child: is a person under the age of 18.
  3. parent: is a person who has sole or shared responsibility for a child including but not limited to a step-parent, adoptive parent, foster parent, same sex parent or guardian.
  4. staff member: includes a person who is offered employment by the University, even if that person has not commenced working for the University.