53. FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS
53.1. SBS is committed to providing workplace flexibility to support its Employees, which includes actively facilitating access to flexible work arrangements across all levels and all role types, where Employees wish to access them, consistent with operational needs.
53.2. Flexible working arrangements include changes in hours of work, changes in patterns of work and changes in location of work, including working from home.
53.3. SBS Employees have the right to request flexible work arrangements as set out in the NES. To summarise, currently Employees may make a request for flexible work arrangements because of any of the below circumstances if they have over 12 months’ continuous service (or for a Casual Employee, periods of work as a regular casual Employee totalling at least 12 months, with a reasonable expectation of continuing employment by SBS on a regular and systematic basis), and:
(a) are a parent, or have responsibility for the care, of a child who is school age or younger;
(b) are a carer within the meaning of the Carer Recognition Act 2010 (Cth);
(c) have a disability;
(d) are 55 or older;
(e) are experiencing violence from a member of their family; or
(f) provides care or support to a member of their immediate family or household who requires care or support because that person is experiencing violence from their family.
53.4. Under the NES, currently a request for flexible working arrangements must:
(a) be in writing; and
(b) set out the proposed flexible work arrangement and the reason(s) for the flexible work arrangements request.
53.5. When an Employee makes a request for flexible work arrangements (including working from home), SBS will give the employee a written response to the request within 21 days.
53.6. The response must:
(a) state that SBS grants the request; or
(b) if, following discussion between the supervisor and the Employee, the supervisor and the Employee agree to a change to the Employee’s working arrangements that differs from that set out in the request—set out the agreed change; or
(c) state that SBS refuses the request and provide reasons.
53.7. SBS will only refuse requests for flexible work arrangements on reasonable business grounds, within the meaning of the FW Act.
53.8. Terms used in this clause which are not defined in this Agreement have the same meaning as in the FW Act.