HR Policy
The University of Auckland Flexible Work Policy
Purpose
The Policy confirms the University’s commitment to supporting flexible work arrangements
for employees who have carer responsibilities under the provisions of Part 6AA of the
Employment Relations Act 2000, and also for employees who require flexible work
opportunities for a variety of other reasons, including further study and career
development.
Policy
The University of Auckland is committed to enhancing recruitment and retention, providing
an excellent working environment, and increasing employee engagement and productivity
through:
 Supporting a balance between work, family and personal life.
 Providing flexible employment practices and conditions which support a balance
between work, life and family needs.
 Accommodating the reasonable requirements of staff members’ work, life and
family responsibilities, wherever practicable.
Definition
Flexible work arrangements include, but are not limited to:







Part-time work
Changes to hours of work
Leave without pay
Partial retirement
Reduced responsibilities
Working from other places
Job sharing.
Audience
All staff on fixed term or permanent employment agreements.
Relevant Legislation
Employment Relations Act 2000
Human Rights Act 1993
State Sector Act 1988
Legal Compliance
Part 6AA of the Employment Relations Act 2000 provides certain employees with the ‘right
to request’ flexible working arrangements. Employers have a legal obligation to consider
carefully an employee’s request.
The University of Auckland - Document reference:
Prepared by: PVC (Equity)
Owned by: Deputy Director, HR Advisory
Last reviewed: June 2012
Flexible Work Policy
Approved by: The Vice-Chancellor
Approval date: June 2012
Review date: July 2015
1
Related Procedures
Employees are entitled to request flexible working arrangements. If the request is
related to carer responsibilities it may be covered by Part 6AA of The Employment
Relations Act 2000.
This will apply if an employee has:

the care of a person (not necessarily a family member)

been employed with their employer for six months or more

not made another request under Part 6AA in the last 12 months.
Under University policy (and the Employment Relations Act 2000) employees are also
entitled to request flexible working arrangements for other reasons such as to engage
in part-time study, career development, phased retirement or for work-life balance.
The request may entail an alteration to a current job description, or a more minor or
temporary variation within usual hours of employment (such as over school holidays).
Process
1) The employee should clarify what their needs are and consider solutions.
2) Staff are encouraged to engage in discussions with their line manager at an early
stage. The University of Auckland Flexible Work Policy Application Form (HR-54) is
available to assist in this discussion (if appropriate they may also use the application
form on the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Labour) website
http://www.dol.govt.nz/er/bestpractice/worklife/flexibleworkguide/index.asp.)
3) The employee and their HoD/manager may wish to consult with other people such
as:
• Human Resources (HR) Department;
 Director Staff Equity ;
• Other staff who have made changes in their work arrangements;
 Other managers who have had relevant experience in accommodating flexible
work arrangements;
 Colleagues who may be affected;
• The employee may need to check the likely impact of changes on matters
such as superannuation and long service leave entitlements.
4) The HoD/manager will consider carefully each request for flexible work
arrangements on its own merits and endeavour to accommodate needs. Minor and
temporary requests may be approved by a supervisor but more significant alterations
may require approval of the HoD/manager and Dean/Director.
5) A request under Part 6AA of The Employment Relations Amendment Act 2000 can
only be declined on one or more of the following recognised business grounds, or if it
conflicts with a collective agreement.
Recognised business grounds are:
 Inability to reorganise work among existing staff
 Inability to recruit additional staff
 Detrimental impact on quality
 Detrimental impact on performance
 Insufficiency of work during the period the employee proposes to work
 Planned structural changes
 Burden of additional cost
 Detrimental effect on ability to meet customer demand.
Managers should consult with HR if they intend to decline an application.
The University of Auckland - Document reference:
Prepared by: PVC (Equity)
Owned by: Deputy Director, HR Advisory
Last reviewed: June 2012
Flexible Work Policy
Approved by: The Vice-Chancellor
Approval date: June 2012
Review date: July 2015
2
6) Employees should be aware that once a request is approved, it cannot be changed
without the agreement of the parties involved.
7) Requests that are not made under Part 6AA should also take business grounds into
account. However, if the reasons for seeking flexible work are broader than carer
responsibilities there may be additional issues to consider. For example, if an
employee requires flexible work arrangements in order to work part-time for another
organisation, ‘conflict of interest’ may need to be taken into account.
8) The HoD/manager will notify the employee of their response to the request for
flexible work. If the request is declined alternative arrangements may be suggested.
These could include re-submitting the application at a later date when it could be
accommodated more easily.
9) If the employee is not satisfied with the outcome of a request they are entitled to
appeal the decision. The appeal should be in writing to the manager of the person who
made the decision.
Related Documents
The University of Auckland Flexible Work Policy Application Form (for arrangements not
subject to 6AA).
Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (Labour) website Fact Sheets and
Form A: Request for Flexible Working Arrangements
The University
The University
The University
The University
Policy
The University
of
of
of
of
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland
Auckland
Equity Policy
Academic Timetabling Policy
Work, Life Family and Carers Policy
Ceasing Employment: Retirement and Phased Retirement
of Auckland Merit Relative to Opportunity Policy
Prepared by:
Owned by:
Approved by:
Date approved:
Review Date:
Past Review dates:
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity)
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Equity)
Vice-Chancellor
July 2015
July 2012
The University of Auckland - Document reference:
Prepared by: PVC (Equity)
Owned by: Deputy Director, HR Advisory
Last reviewed: June 2012
Flexible Work Policy
Approved by: The Vice-Chancellor
Approval date: June 2012
Review date: July 2015
3