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Category Human Resources
Type Procedure
Approved by Vice-Chancellor
Date Procedure Took Effect 1 February 2023
Last approved revision 
Sponsor Human Resources Director
Responsible officer Employment Relations Manager

Purpose

To outline the procedure for staff wishing to request a flexible working arrangement.

Organisational scope

All University employees.

Definitions

Staff
All employees of the University of Otago
Flexible Working Arrangement
Means an agreed arrangement to alter the hours or days of work, the place of work, or some other working arrangement.

Content

1. General principles

  1. Staff are able to request flexible working arrangements for personal and/or academic / professional reasons. A request may cover the hours or days of work, the place of work, or some other working arrangement.
  2. Changes to hours and times of work can be made using the change of hours / FTE form.
  3. All requests must be considered in good faith and Managers / Heads of Department ( HoD s) are encouraged to adopt a flexible approach, particularly regarding working from home requests.
  4. Managers / HoD s are encouraged to consider all aspects of a request, including the impact on the individual, their colleagues, students, their customers, and the area.
  5. Staff wishing to make a request are not required to give any specific reasons and can make a request at any time.
  6. Requests can be for a fixed period or a permanent change.
  7. A request may be informal, semi-formal or informal.

2. Informal request

  1. Staff who wish to make minor adjustments to their working arrangements can make an informal request through discussion with their Manager.
  2. Having considered all aspects of the request, the Manager / HoD will decide whether to accept, negotiate a compromise, or decline the request.
  3. Staff are encouraged to complete the Working from Home Health and Safety Checklist.
  4. It is recommended that a record of the agreed arrangements (such as an email) is retained by the applicant and Manager / HoD .

3. Semi-formal request

  1. Staff who wish to make more substantial changes to the working arrangements can make a semi-formal request by completing the Flexible Working Request Form.
  2. Having considered all aspects of the request, Managers / HoD s can either accept, negotiate a compromise, or decline the request.
  3. Staff must complete the Working from Home Health and Safety Checklist and provide this to their Manager / HoD .
  4. All applicants will receive a written response from their Manager / HoD detailing the outcome of their request.

4. Formal process

  1. If an informal request has been declined, or if the staff member prefers to make a request formally, staff may make a formal written request.
  2. Formal written requests must be made in writing to the Manager / HoD . Any person making a formal request is covered by the provisions of the Employment Relations Act 2000 (“the ERA ”). When making a formal request to work from home the Working from Home Health and Safety Checklist must also be completed and provided.
  3. Under the ERA , the University must respond the request within one month of receiving it. If the request is refused, the University must state and explain the grounds for the refusal.
  4. Responses to formal requests will be documented by Human Resources.

Related policies, procedures and forms

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