Variable Hours
Introduction
1. Variable hours is a system of attendance requiring negotiation and a written agreement between an employee, their supervisor and Head of Work Unit.
2. The following provisions apply where employment is governed by the University's current Enterprise Agreement. Variable hours arrangements governed by other industrial instruments may differ.
3. Variable hours proposals may be initiated by either an employee or their supervisor. The proposal is negotiated between the employee, their supervisor and Head of Work Unit and must be agreed to in advance. All reasonable requests to work variable hours are given consideration, taking into account the employee's personal and family circumstances and the operational requirements of the work unit.
4. A written agreement, specifying the duration of the arrangement must be lodged with HR Services.
5. An employee's pattern of attendance during a variable hours arrangement should reflect both the operational needs of the workplace and the employee's requirements so that the agreed arrangement incorporates a regular work pattern for the employee concerned. Variations during the temporary pattern of attendance that require an employee to work additional hours or overtime should only occur in exceptional circumstances.
Eligibility
6. All full-time and part-time professional employees may negotiate a variable hours working arrangement. Casual employees are not eligible to work variable hours.
Variable Hours Arrangements
7. Normally, the minimum period of a variable hours arrangement is a four week cycle and the maximum period is one year. The four week cycle is to align with the standard University Flexitime cycle.
8. The days and times worked during a four week cycle are to be agreed between the employee and their supervisor in advance.
9. An employee working variable hours is not entitled to accumulate credit or debit hours on completion of the four week period.
Full-time Employees
10. Under a variable hours arrangement, a full-time employee is required to work 140 hours in a four week cycle.
11. On any one day, the minimum number of hours an employee will be required to work is three and a half and the maximum is ten hours.
12. In any week, Monday to Sunday, an employee may work up to a maximum of 45 hours.
13. An employee may work up to five days in any seven but must have two consecutive days off during the seven day period.
14. Employees are not entitled to claim overtime or penalty rates unless directed to work more than 10 hours on any one day or more than 140 hours in any four week period.
Part-time Employees
15. Under a variable hours arrangement, there is flexibility for a part-time employee to work more or less than their average weekly hours. However, at the end of each four week cycle the total hours worked must equal the employee's fraction of full-time employment (eg a part-time employee working 17.5 hours per week must have worked 70 hours by the end of a four week cycle).
16. Arrangements for part-time employees working variable hours will be in accordance with the appropriate fraction of full-time employment, except:
- The maximum number of hours that may be worked on any one day is 10; and
- In any week, Monday to Sunday, a maximum of 35 hours may be worked.
17. An employee may work up to five days in any seven but must have two consecutive days off during the seven day period.
18. A part-time employee may be required to work up to a maximum of 10 hours on any one day. Where exceptional circumstances exist and an employee is directed to perform additional work, the additional hours will be paid at the employee's ordinary hourly rate of pay.
19. A part-time or fractional fixed-term employee working variable hours is not entitled to claim overtime or penalty rates.
Leave
20. Any leave taken during a four week cycle will be debited as per the agreed hours of work for that day.
Public Holidays
21. Public holidays falling Monday to Friday during the period will be recorded as seven hours unless work in excess of seven hours is carried out on that day, in which case the total hours worked will be recorded.
Meal Breaks
22. The normal meal break is one hour and the maximum meal break is two and a half hours. Any meal break in excess of one hour requires approval by the employee's supervisor.
23. The minimum meal break is thirty minutes.
24. Employees will not be required to work more than five hours without a meal break.
Updated: 26 March 2013