Greater leave flexibility needed, according to Ai Group

Industry seeks greater leave flexibility in Fair Work Commission full bench case, said Innes Willox, chief executive, Australian Industry Group (Ai Group) in a statement.

"The Ai Group has filed its submissions and evidence in a major Fair Work Commission (FWC) case on leave flexibility. The model award flexibility clause which was determined by the Tribunal in 2008, prior to the development of the Fair Work Act, does not allow individual flexibility arrangements (IFAs) to be made about leave matters. This is a glaring omission that needs to be addressed. Flexible leave arrangements are one of the main areas of flexibility valued by employees in seeking to better balance work and family responsibilities," he said.

"The types of flexibility that could be agreed upon between an individual employee and the employer in an IFA if Ai Group’s proposals are accepted by the FWC include:

• The cashing out of accrued annual leave, provided that at least four weeks of accrued leave is maintained;
• The granting of annual leave in advance;
• The granting of personal/carer's leave in advance;
• The taking of leave in a greater number of periods than the maximum specified in the relevant award;
• The taking of an additional amount of annual leave and forgoing the equivalent amount of pay (eg, eight weeks of annual leave in a year, paid at half the regular rate)."

The case is listed for hearing before a full bench of the FWC in April.

"Ai Group's proposals preserve a high level of protection for employees, while ensuring that employees and employers have access to flexible arrangements to meet their personal and enterprise circumstances," Willox said.

To view the submission by the Ai Group, visit the website.