Why use flexible working arrangements?
Flexible working arrangements are now common in most business types and industries. 'Flexible work' doesn't just refer to working from home; even in workplaces where it's not possible for staff to work from home, there are other options for providing flexibility in work locations or times. You may already be offering some flexibility, such as part-time work.
Flexible working arrangements can be for a specified period or on an ongoing basis.
There are many business benefits of offering flexible working arrangements, including being able to attract and retain a more diverse range of skilled employees.
Video: Flexibility is the future
"One of the things we've learnt from COVID is that flexibility is the future and a flexible workplace simply reflects the constituency, the workers themselves as well as customers."
- David Pich, Director of Better Workplaces Consulting and Advisory, speaking at Reimagining Workforce 2023
Benefits of being flexible
For many employees, flexible work is a highly desirable workplace benefit. They want to work with employers who are willing to negotiate about where, when and how they work.
Employers who offer remote or flexible work demonstrate their commitment to evolving work trends and employee wellbeing, making them more attractive to current and prospective employees. Learn more about attracting and retaining employees.
Flexible working arrangements are also linked to many other benefits for businesses, including:
- increased productivity
- increased employee wellbeing and happiness
- lower levels of absenteeism
- greater job satisfaction and engagement
- retaining corporate knowledge and skills
- reduced recruitment and hiring costs
- having more women in the workplace and in leadership roles.
How could your business benefit from flexible working arrangements?
Find out more about why flexible working is good for business (PDF, 195KB), including research and case studies on productivity, attraction and retention, gender equality and employee wellbeing.
Examples of flexible work types
Flexible locations
Telecommuting or remote working
Working away from the official workplace on some or all days. Examples:- a home office
- outdoors or a remote location while travelling
- a work site or client's business.
Distributed work centres or other work sites
Working at a centre that is provided by the employer (such as a rented office space, equipped work facility, or alternative work branch) to give employees the option of a shorter commute. The space may be shared with other organisations.
Flexible times
Job sharing
A full-time job shared by 2 or more employees who are paid on a pro-rata basis for the part of the job they complete. All duties may be shared, or each partner may take on a different aspects of the role.
Part-time work
Working less than full-time hours and receiving pay, conditions and entitlements on a pro-rata (proportionate) basis. Usually the same days and hours each week.
Casual work
Working days and hours that suit the employee with no ongoing commitment for work from the employer.
Time in lieu or flexitime
Working extra hours and being compensated by taking paid time off on another day instead of receiving overtime pay.
Compressed working weeks
Working longer hours over fewer days to allow time to be taken off later in the week or fortnight.
School hours and term-time work
Working fewer hours each day to fit within school start and finish times, or working during school terms only. This benefits parents of school-aged children.
Flexible start, finish and break times
Employees are required to work a set number of hours but they have control over the specific timing to suit their own circumstances. Examples:
- taking prayer breaks
- finishing early to attend an appointment.
Temporary modified hours
A gradual increase or decrease in hours, or reduced hours for a specified time period. Examples:
- reducing hours before retirement
- increasing hours after parental leave
- working fewer hours while recovering from an injury.
Purchased leave
Using part of the employee's annual salary to buy extra leave. Usually arranged in advance and a small amount is taken from the employee's pay throughout the year.
Leave at half pay or unpaid leave
Taking leave at half pay in order to double the amount of time off, or taking unpaid leave if there is no paid leave left.
How can I offer flexibility in my workplace?
There's a suitable flexible work option for most roles and most workplaces. Think of the flexible work options mentioned above and how these can be applied so all employees can participate, rather than only a select few.
- What options do you already use in your business?
- Can you think of any other flexible work options that would work in your business?
- Will you offer flexibility to all employees proactively, or only on request?
Flexible work preferences are highly personal to the individual employee and their own circumstances. Employees' needs and expectations will vary, and what works for one person might not work for the next.
If you receive a flexible work request, you should work with your employees to understand their needs and come to a mutually beneficial arrangement. Sometimes this may involve a combination of flexible work options.
Video: Flexibility at GLT
Shay Chalmers, CEO of GLT (formerly Graham Lusty Trailers), describes her company's journey to a flexible workforce with benefits for all, including:
- a Monday to Thursday work week, with optional overtime on Fridays
- shift timing that allows parents to pick their kids up from school
- improved attraction and retention of skilled staff.
Flexible work options to consider for different workplace types
Flexible locations
Many health care and community workers already have flexible locations because they go to their clients, rather than working at a fixed business location. Others may work from a specific workplace and need access to specialist equipment or resources (e.g. physical therapy equipment). Consider these options for flexible work:
- working from home, telecommuting or remote working on days where the employee is completing administrative duties or providing telehealth services (e.g. counselling)
- allowing employees to choose their preferred territory or job locations – if the business completes work at multiple locations, the employee may choose to work closer to home
Flexible times
Health care and community providers are needed around the clock, so there is likely already a lot of flexibility in their shifts and hours of work. Consider these options for flexible work:
- part-time, casual or job sharing
- flexible start, finish and break times
- purchased leave, unpaid leave or leave at half pay
- compressed work days
- school hours or term-time work
- temporary modified hours.
Case study: Aged Care Workforce Alliance
The Empowering the Care Workforce project is focused on meeting the growing demands of the care sector in Australia. Aged Care Workforce Alliance (ACWA) is an industry alliance – including 11 Queensland-based organisations – led by Professor of Health Ageing, Laurie Buys, and the team at Australian Catholic University.
The pilot project, funded through the Queensland Care Consortium and delivered as part of the Queensland Workforce Strategy 2022–2032, aims to digitally and geographically connect providers and education/training organisations working across metropolitan, regional and rural Queensland. An innovative digital platform will store verified qualifications, certifications and training, allowing workers to seamlessly transition between employers. It will also establish a shared on-boarding and rostering system that will enable mobility for workers and allow care providers to rapidly respond to staffing needs. This will improve the recruitment experience and retention of skilled workers, minimise duplication of recruitment effort, and enable service providers to deliver consistent, high-quality care to meet the needs of older people and those with a disability in our community.
Need help and advice?
Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor to discuss flexible work options for your workplace.
Flexible locations
In industrial environments, there may be some limitations on where employees can work, as they made need access to specialised equipment and machinery. Consider these options for flexible work:
- working from home, telecommuting or remote working on days where the employee is completing administrative duties or customer engagement
- working from an alternative business site or office – if the business has multiple locations it may benefit employees to work from a branch closer to home.
Flexible times
Hours of business operation may be fixed but there may be flexibility to arrange shifts in a way that mutually benefits the employer and employee. Consider these options for flexible work:
- part-time, casual or job sharing
- flexible start, finish and break times
- purchased leave, unpaid leave or leave at half pay
- compressed work days
- school hours or term-time work
- temporary modified hours.
Case studies
See examples of businesses who have adopted and benefited from flexible working arrangements:
Need help and advice?
Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor to discuss flexible work options for your workplace.
Flexible locations
Employees may not be able to work from home if they need to engage with customers in-person at a particular location (e.g. a shopfront or reception desk). Consider these options for flexible work:
- working from home, telecommuting or remote working on days where the employee is completing administrative or non-customer facing duties
- working from an alternative business site or office – if the business has multiple locations it may benefit employees to work from a branch closer to home.
Flexible times
In workplaces where frontline customer service is a major focus, it is important for customers to be able to access the business at predictable, known times. For example, a shop is likely to be open during fixed business hours. Consider these options for flexible work:
- part-time, casual or job sharing
- flexible break times
- purchased leave, unpaid leave or leave at half pay
- temporary modified hours
- split shifts (e.g. covering lunch and dinner shifts at a restaurant).
Need help and advice?
Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor to discuss flexible work options for your workplace.
Flexible locations
Many trades already have flexible locations because they go to their customers, rather than working at a fixed business location. Work may be a short, one-off job or a large job over an extended period of time in one location, such as when building a new house.
Consider these options for flexible work:
- working from home, telecommuting or remote working on days where the employee is completing administrative duties
- allowing employees to choose their preferred territory or job sites – if the business completes work at multiple locations, the employee may choose to work closer to home.
Flexible times
Trades often commence early in the day (e.g. 7am) to cater for their customers' availability, or to be able to complete physically demanding outdoor work early in the day before the weather heats up. A sole trader will have ultimate control over their hours of work, but for a business with several employees, it may provide better coverage and customer service if your employees work different but complementary hours.
Consider these options for flexible work:
- part-time, casual or job sharing
- flexible start, finish and break times
- purchased leave, unpaid leave or leave at half pay
- compressed work days
- school hours or term-time work
- temporary modified hours.
Need help and advice?
Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor to discuss flexible work options for your workplace.
Flexible locations
Office workers typically complete much of their work using a computer. Technology such as communication software, cloud-based applications, and secure workplace systems allows employees to complete their work from any location where they have access to the internet. Consider these options for flexible work:
- working from home, telecommuting or remote working
- working from an alternative business site or office
Flexible times
Office-based businesses can often readily adopt flexible practices. Consider these options for flexible work:
- part-time, casual or job sharing
- flexible start, finish and break times
- purchased leave, unpaid leave or leave at half pay
- compressed work days
- school hours or term-time work
- temporary modified hours
Case studies
See examples of businesses who have adopted and benefited from flexible working arrangements:
Need help and advice?
Contact an Industry Workforce Advisor to discuss which types of flexible work might suit your workplace.
Ready to get started?
There are many resources to help you, including our information about establishing flexible work arrangements and managing arrangements such as remote working.
To start thinking about which options might best suit your business, you could also complete the Fair Work Ombudsman's Workplace flexibility course.
Training: Workplace flexibility
This 40-minute interactive online course from the Fair Work Ombudsman includes:
- information on how flexibility can benefit your business
- ideas about types of flexibility that may suit you and your employees
- tips and guidance on how to promote, implement and manage flexibility in your workplace
- details about your legal obligations under the Fair Work Act 2009
- realistic scenarios to help you deal with flexibility requests.
Complete the Workplace flexibility course.
Also consider...
- Read about how businesses are using flexible work and the future of flexible work.
- Read about your rights and obligations under flexible working arrangements.
- Learn more about 'fully remote' working practices.
- Find out about staff performance reviews.
- Read more about staff satisfaction and retention.