Work/life balance initiatives
In seeking a balance between the interests of USQ and individual employees, the University of Southern Queensland Enterprise Agreement 2010-2013 and the Human Resources Policy and Procedures contain a variety of work/life balance initiatives.
Fractional employment
Fractional employment enables employees to reduce their working hours in order to fulfil other responsibilities or interests. An employee may be engaged for a fraction of full-time employment.
Sessional employment
Employees in the Residential Colleges and Printery may be employed on a sessional basis. Sessional employees are engaged for a minimum of 32 weeks per year and for a minimum of 18 hours per week normally to accommodate workflow ‘peaks or troughs'. Sessional employees receive a 10% loading on the equivalent hourly rate for full-time employees for hours worked in the fortnight. A sessional employee will receive the entitlements of a full-time employee on a proportional basis determined by the hours worked within the year.
Term employment
Term employees are engaged on a continuing basis for a minimum of 26 weeks in a calendar year and works for a minimum of 15 hours per week. Term employees are advised at the beginning of each calendar year as to which weeks they are required to work. Term employees are paid fortnightly at a proportional rate to a full-time employee for the hours worked in the fortnight.
Annualised hours employment
Annualised hours employees may be engaged on a continuing or fixed term basis for an agreed number of nominated hours within a 12 month period to meet work unit requirements. The total number of nominated hours (including the annual leave component) is averaged to a fortnightly salary.
48/52 weeks per year working arrangements
A full-time employee can apply to take up to eight weeks annual leave in a year and receive 48 weeks salary, which would be payable over the full 52 weeks. This will be subject to agreement between the supervisor and the employee, and based on the needs of the work area.
Job sharing
Job sharing involves dividing one position among two or more people. It is a voluntary arrangement between the staff involved and the cost centre manager and allows people to work less than full time, whilst ensuring that all the duties of the job are completed. Job sharing can also bring skills and experience and improved flexibility to a workplace as there are two people in a job instead of one.
Flexible working hours
Within the needs of the work area, flexible working hours provide staff flexibility in hours of work. Ordinary hours of work for professional employees at USQ is 36 hours per week. These hours may be worked on any consecutive days in the week, Monday to Sunday inclusive, between 6.00am and 10.00pm. The ordinary hours of work will not exceed 10 hours on any one day, and the number of days worked in a seven day cycle will not normally exceed five.
Rostered Day Off (RDO) arrangements
Rostered Day Off (RDO) arrangements may be organised by mutual agreement between individual employees and their manager and vary across the University. Options available to staff in any particular work area will be influenced by the nature of the work and the contact with clients and staff. In some areas, staff may work a nine day fortnight or a 19 day month arrangement by working additional time each week to accrue this RDO.
Working from home
The University recognises that working from home may be an effective option in some circumstances for a staff member and for the work area. The Working from Home Arrangements enables employees to work from home if there is mutual agreement between the University, the employee and an appropriate Category 3 Delegate.
End of year closure
During closure of the University between 25 December and 1 January in the following year inclusive, employees (excluding those directed to work) will have their annual leave entitlements debited as follows:
- 2 days in 2010
- 1 day in 2011
From 2012 onwards, the University will not require an employee to utilise annual leave entitlements during the end of year closure period. From 2012 onwards, End of Year Closure Arrangements will be managed in accordance with Human Resources Policies and Procedures.