Flexible working arrangements keeps Pathfinders reputation as great place to work and helps us in meeting unprecedented COVID–19 issues

Pathfinders CEO Alan Brennan, recently announced a refresh of Pathfinders’ Flexible Working Arrangements.

“I am pleased to announce that Pathfinders have reviewed our Flexible Working Arrangements policy. We want all current and potential future employees to understand our policy and to understand how they can enhance their working lives while maintaining services to our clients. Of course, the service response to the COVID-19 Pandemic has required us all to think about more flexible working patterns. I must say a very public ‘thank you’ to our staff for helping maintain a fantastic level of service and accessibility throughout these challenging circumstances.”

FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS: PATHFINDERS POLICY STATEMENT

Pathfinders believes that providing some flexibility in the workplace allows Pathfinders and its workers to make agreements about working conditions and arrangements that meet the needs of both parties.

Flexibility in working arrangements helps Pathfinders workers maintain a healthy work / life balance, and it will help Pathfinders improve the productivity, quality, effectiveness and efficiency of its workforce.

The Pathfinders Board has delegated to the Pathfinders Chief Executive Officer the authority to negotiate with workers on ways to make their workplace arrangements more flexible. Examples of flexible working arrangements envisaged under this policy include changing what hours are worked, when they are worked, how they are worked (patterns of work attendance) and where work is performed.

The guiding principle when considering flexible working arrangements is meeting the needs of our workers whilst also meeting the operational needs of Pathfinders. Our programs and services, and our client’s needs must remain Pathfinders first priority.

Pathfinders Chief Executive Officer CEO and management team will ensure that Pathfinders workers are still receiving their minimum entitlements under the National Employment Standards (NES), the worker’s modern award, registered agreement or contract of employment, and that all flexible working arrangements meet the expectations set by the Fair Work Ombudsman.

WHAT ARE FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS?

THE FAIR WORK ACT

Under the Fair Work Act (Cth) 2009 [s.65, s.144 and s 162], there are two ways Pathfinders and its workers can make their workplace more flexible:

1. Individual Flexibility Arrangements

Pathfinder and its workers could negotiate to change how certain terms in an existing

modern award, enterprise agreement or other registered agreement apply to them.

This policy and its procedures do not apply to Individual Flexibility Arrangements which

seek to modify industrial modern awards, enterprise agreements or registered agreements.

2. Flexible Working Arrangements

Permanent part-time or full-time workers who have worked with Pathfinders for at least twelve (12)

months can request flexible working arrangements. Casual workers can too, if they’ve been working

for Pathfinders regularly and systematically for at least twelve (12) months and there’s a reasonable

expectation of continuing work with Pathfinders on that casual regular and systemic basis.

REQUESTING FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS

Some employees who have worked for Pathfinders for at least 12 months can request flexible working arrangements, such as changes to hours, patterns or locations of work. There are rules about how a Pathfinders worker may make the request and how Pathfinders and when will respond.

WHAT ARE FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS?

Examples of flexible working arrangements include changes to:

• Hours of work (eg. reduction in hours worked, changes to start and finish times),
• Patterns of work (eg. working split-shifts or job-sharing arrangements), and/or,
• Locations of work (eg. working from home or from another location).

WHO CAN REQUEST FLEXIBLE WORKING ARRANGEMENTS?

Pathfinders workers can make a request if they meet one or more of the following circumstances:

• The worker is the parent, or have responsibility for the care, of a child who is school aged or younger,
• The worker is a carer (under the Carer Recognition Act 2010),
• The worker is fifty-five (55) years old or older,
• The worker has a disability,
• The worker is experiencing family or domestic violence, or,
• The worker is providing care or support to a member of their household or immediate family who requires care and support because of family or domestic violence
• Social Compliance

Your workplace manager can help you learn more about flexible working arrangements.