Australian public servants are to be supported to achieve their ideal work-life balance with the Secretaries Board of the Australian Public Sector Commission (APSC) endorsing a principles-based approach to flexible work.
Launching its All Roles Flexible: Principles of flexible work in the APS, the APSC said it was creating flexible workplaces that embraced diversity and met the expectations of the Australian community and its workforce.
“The Secretaries Board has endorsed a principles-based approach to flexible work developed by the Secretaries’ Future of Work Sub-Committee,” the APSC said.
“Secretaries recognise that flexibility strengthens the APS’ ability to deliver strong outcomes, improves our workforce’s resilience, helps employees balance their work and personal priorities and helps position the APS as an employer of choice.”
It said the principles of flexible work sought to embed flexibility in the way the APS worked and provide a framework for considering flexibility at the individual, team and organisation level.
The Commission said the Principles outlined that in the APS, flexibility applied to all roles, with different types of flexibility being suitable for different roles, and flexibility needed to be mutually beneficial.
It said the Principles also stated that organisational and team needs frame conversations about individual flexibility arrangements, flexible work arrangements value meaningful and regular face-to-face contact, and flexibility is embedded, modelled and refined.
“Workplace flexibility is an important issue in the current APS service-wide bargaining process,” the APSC said.
“The Principles will be a consideration in negotiation of a common flexibility term for inclusion in all APS enterprise agreements.”
APSC’s five-page Principles document can be accessed at this PS News link.
