Your organisation probably has a flexible work policy – has it been reviewed recently?
RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
You can refresh or develop a flexible work policy that meets or exceeds legislative requirements.
Suggestions
- Ensure it aligns with the minimum provisions of Part 6AA of the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007.
- Use our policy template as a guide.
- Attend CareWise policy development webinars led by experts – we’ll invite you to these.
- Listen to, share, perhaps participate in our CareWise podcast series (coming soon!) about ways to develop, implement, and maintain meaningful leave policies. We’ll let you know when these start.
Develop flexible work guidelines especially for those who manage staff who are carers.
Suggestions
- Train managers so they can understand and support carers – at least 1 in 8 of your workforce.
- Encourage them to attend our webinars and training events – we’ll invite you to these.
- Share the articles and podcast links we send to CareWise workplaces with your managers, so they can upskill themselves … then coach others.
Monitor the uptake of flexible work or reasonable accommodation policies to identify trends and potential concerns.
Suggestions
- Are more staff requesting flexible work or reasonable accommodation due to caring?
- Are requests being granted, or are there barriers to allowing flexible work requests?
- Is provision for flexible work or reasonable accommodation supporting retention of carers? How can you measure this?
