Working from home

As part of our workplace flexibility offerings, Griffith supports eligible staff to work from home up to 40 per cent of their work week.

Eligibility

All staff can request flexible working arrangements, but whether they are eligible to have a flexible work location arrangement (e.g., arrangement to work from home) depends on a number of factors, including operational requirements.

It is expected that staff work the majority of their workdays on campus; however, work from home requests may be supported up to 40 per cent of a staff member's work week, unless a case has been made that supports an alternative arrangement.

Arrangements can be made for periods of up to 12 months. Upon the end of a flexible work location arrangement period, a new request may be submitted.

Health, Safety and Wellbeing at home

It is imperative that staff working remotely have a safe area to work for their own wellbeing, in addition to complying with the Work Health and Safety Act 2011 (QLD) and the University's Health, Safety and Wellbeing policy. As part of requesting a flexible work location arrangement, you are required to review the Ergonomics webpage including:

• watching the Workstation Ergonomics video
• assess your residential work area
• complete a Computer Workstation Ergonomics Checklist.

Please note that your checklist will need to be uploaded and attached as part of the request for a flexible work location.

Supervisor obligations and approvals

Supervisors will consider flexible working arrangement requests with due consideration of legislative requirements and whether the request can be supported based on the operational requirements of the University. In some circumstances, employees have a right to request flexible working arrangements under the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), which creates legal obligations on supervisors to formally consider such requests and respond in writing in a particular way within 21 days.

Supervisors are encouraged to review the Managing Requests for Flexible Working Arrangements factsheet for information on:

• who can make a request for flexible working arrangements
• responding to a request
• supporting a request
• refusing a request
• requests that impact staff availability for teaching commitments.

If after consideration of a request it is determined that it cannot be supported the supervisors should discuss the reason/s with the individual staff member and use the "Comments" box to indicate reason/s to why the request cannot be accommodated at this time as part of your supervisory obligations to provide a written response as part of the Fair Work Act requirements.

Flexible working in our Enterprise Agreements

Griffith's Enterprise Agreements outline our range of formal flexibility options. For academic and professional staff, this includes the Flexible Work Year and Reversible Part Time Appointment for the Care of Dependents. For professional (general) staff, this includes variable hours and Flexi time. You can learn more on the Academic Staff Enterprise Agreement and Professional and Support Staff Enterprise Agreement.

Breastfeeding, expressing, parenting and parking

• Breastfeeding, expressing and parenting facilities are at our Gold Coast, Logan, Mt Gravatt and Nathan campuses.
• Parking permits are available for staff who are pregnant (see Special Permits - Pregnancy) on the Parking Permits webpage.
• To support workplace participation, Griffith also has a procedure for breastfeeding in the workplace.

See parenting facilities at Griffith

Childcare and school holiday care 

• Early Childhood Education Centres offer quality education and care from three months of age to five years on Brisbane South (Nathan). Search for other childcare using your criteria on the Australian government’s StartingBlocks website. 
• Griffith Sport Active Kids is run in the school holidays at the Mt Gravatt Campus. Griffith has a  Children in the Workplace policy. 

Leave

Griffith has a range of leave provisions to accommodate the different needs and circumstances of our staff including Parental Leave, Family, Cultural Obligations, Domestic and Family Violence, Gender Affirmation Leave and Other Special Circumstances Leave. You can learn more on the Leave webpage.