Flexible work arrangements

Alternatives or variations to traditional full time employment

Flexible work arrangements (FWAs) are alternatives or variations to traditional full time employment and can take many different forms, including:

• casual,
• part time,
• job sharing,
• working from home,
• bringing children to work,
• working school hours outside school holidays
• paid and unpaid sabbaticals,
• carers or volunteer leave,
• compressed hours (for example, doing a full weeks work in 4 days),
• freelance contract work,
• purchased leave, and
• paid and/or extended parental leave.

Managing flexible employment is similar to other employment arrangements but for it to work, both the employer and employee have to demonstrate commitment, openness and willingness to adapt. It may mean revising or developing new human resources policies and procedures, but the short term effort will deliver long term benefits.