The Department of Labour is developing a strategy around the issue of the work/life balance which could include regulatory measures such as flexible working hours legislation.
Yesterday I caught up with senior advisor for workplace practices Cath Edmondson. She told me the DoL is working with large organisations on the project. However Edmondson says none of the work –which has been in train for 2 years – currently involves contact centres.
Yet legislation in this area is likely to have a direct impact on the sector and Edmondson says there is “potential to work with contact centres and industry groups in the next few months.”
One piece of legislation in which significant work has been done already is the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Hours) Amendment Bill. If passed, it would make it compulsory for employers of parents with children under five and those with children under 18 with disabilities, to allow flexible hours, including job sharing arrangements.
Parliament’s Transport and Industrial Relations Committee is due to hear back from the Department of Labour in July about the Bill. Their report will include feedback from a discussion paper released last year, in which Edmondson says they received 777 submissions.
For more details about the proposed Bill see previous Mouthpiece blog.