The Benefits and Challenges of being Flexible

National NBN-enabled Digital Economy Forum

Background

• Working From Home Protocol launched November 2011 after a 12 month pilot.

• Main drivers were:

* Staff desire for greater flexibility

* Attraction and retention

* Alternate employment strategy

* Operational efficiency

• Key management issues:

* Safety

* Selection criteria

* Technical capacity

* Costs – who pays what

* Document trail

Safety

• WHS and Workers Compensation legislation applies equally in all places of work including the home.

• Employers are responsible for providing the necessary instruction, information and training to ensure safety; and

• Ensuring that the following is safe and without risks to health:

* Work premises

* Supplied plant, equipment or substances

* Systems of work

• request for access at• Work premises (home)• Supplied plant or substances• Systems of work

Management of Safety Issues

• Systematic documented worksite audit

• Corrective costs covered by employee

• Minimum standards include:

* working smoke detectors

* functional circuit breakers

* suitable work area and ergonomic work station

* absence of risk factors

* appropriate computer resources

* adequate home and contents insurance

• Right of entry provided

• Standard Council Protocols work practices apply

Management of Safety Issues

• Council provides:

* fire extinguisher

* class c first aid kit

* access to computer network

* required consumables

* reimbursement for work calls, postage etc

Selection Criteria

• Not all jobs or all people are suited to working from home.

• Applications are assessed on a case by case basis.

• Suitability factors:

* required level of computer literacy;

* tasks capable of being performed off-site without detriment to organisational security, safety, efficiency or service delivery;

* ability, skills and knowledge to work autonomously;

* solid performance history.

• Not suitable :

* where supervision or monitoring is required;

* * roles requiring face to face contact with colleagues or clients;

* * where supervision or training of others is required;

* * specialist equipment is required;

* * access to hard copy or sensitive/confidential documents is required.

Technical Capacity

• Pre-requisite for success

• Requirements vary from job to job

• Need to consider:

* speed of access

* security

* range of access

* communication

• Who pays for, supplies, maintains what.

Document Trail

• Formal written policy

• Documented home office safety audit

• Record of corrective actions undertaken

• Formal Agreement detailing:

* work location

* hours/days of work

* start and end dates

* work to be undertaken

* communication requirements

* review/monitoring process

* discontinuation processes

* equipment supplied

* costs covered

* policy compliance

Testimonials

• I sustained an injury outside work. The 'Working From Home' protocol provided me with a sense of still belonging to the organisation. The tasks set were outside my standard day to day duties, but were projects well within my skill set. If not done by me Council would have had to engage an external consultant to complete the work.

• Working from home gave me the flexibility to support my personal

circumstances while meeting the requirements of the job. I worked 2 days in the office and 1 day from home. I was able to manage my work effectively by assigning certain tasks to the respective work environments. I felt supported by my employer, and don’t feel the work arrangement hinder my performance.

• Working From Home has enabled me to provide support for my family by dropping off and picking up my children from school one day a week without negative impact on my productivity. Having access to all the necessary work systems at home has provided me the ability to start that particular day early or work late depending on the day's work load, or even to access the system outside of normal working days and times.

Testimonials

• Being able to work from home to assist in my sister's recovery after heart surgery provided emotional benefits to me by not having to stress out about meeting work requirements whilst being able to provide the support at home which was needed. My sister also was able to relax knowing that she wasn't keeping me from my work.

• I have worked from home one day a week for a 2 month period allowing project work to be achieved which otherwise was overtaken by daily operational activities. I would recommend that this is a viable option for short term priorities for line management positions, where daily operations can easily overwhelm strategic work.