Both men and women should have
the right to secure, good quality
working hours for parenting and/or
caring responsibilities when
they need them.
Employees and Managers can
request in flexible working
arrangements from their employer
and in the case of CEO’s or GM’s,
these requests need to be made
to the Board of Directors. Please
me mindful that there are specific
requirements and criteria that must
be met in order to be eligible to
request such conditions. However,
also be mindful these requests can
be refused, they are requests and
not rights, and currently there are
limited grounds to challenge the
decision. Some organisations do
have a part-time/ flexible working
policy, and many do not. In many
cases often employer discretion
and ‘business needs’ prevent these
requests being met.
“So, I hear you ask how do I have
control or influence over these
three significant issues?”
Well, as the leaders in your
club you are in the position of
having to ensure full compliance
with employment awards and
agreements, along with compliance
with superannuation and taxation
IQ 16
legislation. Distributed or delegated
authority from your Board of
Directors ensures that this
responsibility sits with the CEO,
GM, Secretary Manager, Venue
Manager, or equivalent.
Implications for such breaches can
be damaging and far reaching.
Consider now the raised issue of
Modern Workplaces. Again as the
leader of your club, along with your
senior leadership team, and the
Board of Directors, the creation of
your Club’s strategic plan and 5 year
plan identifies and determines the
intended course of action for your
venue, and often also includes the
identification of a community need
which surrounds your venue.
Consideration can take place for
recruitment and rostering policies
and procedures. Consider if cross
training and up skilling your existing
team members can reduce the need
to utilise or engage contractors or
labour hire agencies for tasks and
roles that maybe fulfilled in-house.
Consideration can also be made
for the inception of policies that
advocate for a ‘work life balance’
for all members of your workforce,
as well as the consideration for
the establishment of a part-time/
flexible working policy.
Create the future you would want to
work in. Consider the future, consider
the legacy, and then consider what it
would be like if we all did nothing.
*Other issues raised included;
Industrial Action, Dispute Resolution,
Enterprise Bargaining, Penalty Rates,
Minimum Wage, Inequality, Tax,
Temporary Visa Workers, ABCC, and
Asbestos.
By Peter Cooper – Senior
Industrial Relations Advocate,
and Peta Imber – Industrial
Relations & Compliance Advisor