A practical, tried and tested suite of materials that give Managers, HR Professionals and Employees the resources and information they need to make flexibility work, in their workplace.

The Flexible Work Options Tool Kits are used by organisations such as The Commonwealth Bank, Coles, Shell Australia, Blue Mountains City Council, WorkCover NSW, Emergency Services Qsld, Orica, Ergon Energy, Kellogg’s Australia and Australian Rugby Union, as well as several top tier law firms.

The Kits have been used for over five years by a range of public, and private organisations with great success

The Kits were designed and tested by our consulting team, who have over 20 years experience in partnering with clients to implement flexible work arrangements. Some five years ago, when these Kits were initially launched they were the first of their kind in Australia. They are regularly upgraded to reflect the changing needs of Employers and Employees. In May 2008 the Implementation Guide was launched. This is designed for HR Professionals and Managers who are responsible for the implementation of flexible work arrangements within their workplace.

Who needs the Kits?

HR Professionals, who are responsible for the attraction and retention of staff.
Managers who are responsible for the ‘engagement’ and retention of staff within their work teams.
Executives and Leaders who need to support a workplace culture that is flexible and responsive to the needs of employees.
Employees who want and need to build their business case for a flexible work arrangement and are mutually responsible with their manager for ensuring their flexible work arrangement succeeds

How will the Kits help?

The kits include detailed information that will enable managers, employees and team members to:-

Work together to develop appropriate flexible work arrangements that meet the needs of the individual, the team and the business.
Comply with legislation that relates to the ‘right to request’ a flexible work arrangement
Create win/win solutions to sometimes challenging situations where implementing flexibility requires considerable change to the way work is undertaken.
Develop the business case/proposal for a flexible work option that is based on sound research and realistic options.
Consult and communicate with stakeholders to ensure that the ‘set up’ of a flexible work arrangement has minimal impact on the internal or external client / customer

What’s in the Kits?

1. The Employee Guide assists the Employee to build their business case for change, gain an understanding of the impact of the change on their job role, their work/life balance and their contribution to team. It includes:

A step by step guide to assessing their personal need for flexibility and understanding the implications of the change
Information on the organisations flexible work options policies
A ‘business case’ pro forma (this can be customised for clients)
Options to consider if the initial request needs to be modified
Guidance on establishing success criteria
Implementation and evaluation steps

2. The Manager Guide highlights the benefits of flexible working, outlines the decision making process to be used when reviewing a request for flexible working. It includes:-

Information about the organisation policies and practices
Discussion guides to be used when responding to requests from employees
Suggestions on record keeping and note taking
Hints on ‘risk management’ issues
Suggestions on managing performance and establishing monitoring processes
Templates for establishing a flexible work agreement
Implementation guidelines

3. The Implementation Guide is designed for the HR Practitioner or Manager who is supporting others to implement flexible work arrangements within the workplace. It contains information about:-

The importance of workplace flexibility
Bottom line benefits of flexibility in the workplace
Implementation issues and ways to develop win/win solutions
Overcoming Roadblocks and Myths
Communicating about Flexible Working
Flexibility Team Planning Process
Q&A - or Hints and Tips to Achieve Success

In each booklet there are examples and case studies that can be tailored to reflect the organisation’s business environment.

Clients may purchase the license to produce these Kits within their organisations. They can be tailored to meet specific business environments, and can be placed on the organisation’s intranet.