The impact of flexible work arrangements can also reach beyond the benefits derived by the organization and contribute to the development of a sustainable society. There was general agreement among stakeholders and survey respondents that employers should be required to give due consideration to all requests for flex work that are submitted in writing and to respond to them within a set timeframe, also in writing. : Em12-23/2016E-PDF "The world of work is rapidly changing with the fourth industrial revolution, characterized by a range of new technologies, the Internet of things and cloud computing. The importance of providing nutritious foods of choice to the community, the role of hunters and the strengthening and passing on of cultural practices should be valued and accommodated, just as much as the wage economy.”, “Flexible work arrangements, leaves and other benefits for employees serve as important recruitment and retention tools, and banks are very cognizant of that fact as they compete with other employers for talent.”. “Both the employee and the employer need to be able to sit down and have a discussion as to how the arrangement would work. . Many survey respondents and stakeholders recognized the importance—for the federal government, union and employer organizations and others—of having access to reliable data on the use of the right to request, the outcomes of requests and other issues related to flex work more generally for various purposes. . Stakeholders made suggestions about other ways to foster proactive compliance. educating labour inspectors and mediators). Flexible scheduling and flexible work locations were said to be the top two types of flex work requested. This means they need a job to ensure they have the ability to buy those necessities. They also pointed out, as did some labour organizations, that when short-term flexibility is required, there is often not enough time for a longer, more formalized process because the employee needs a response as quickly as possible. Employers may deny a request for one or more of the following reasons: An employer cannot reprimand you just because you made a written request for a flexible work arrangement. As an employee, you may exercise your right to request a flexible work arrangement under the Code. (Photo: AFP/Roslan RAHMAN) Then pick an arrangement accordingly: 1. Over 73 percent (or just over 600) of those who responded to the survey question about whether they had asked for flex work in the past five years, said that they had. Some participants suggested considering other provisions or tools beyond recourse mechanisms to support compliance and enforcement of a right to request, such as: However, employers and employer organizations cautioned against introducing requirements into the Code that compel employers to add processes and procedures to what should be an internal discussion between the employee and their manager about a mutually accommodating work arrangement. Stakeholders and survey respondents stressed the important role that workplace policies and practices play in achieving cultural change. Dentons 0 Liked this Article. Virtually all stakeholders and respondents to the online survey emphasized the importance of flex work for workers with caregiving responsibilities and their employers. As the Canadian Grain Commission's Alternative Working Arrangements policy had been in place since May 2015, it was an appropriate time to ensure the objectives of the policy are being met. Between May 16 and June 30, 2016, Canadians were invited to complete an online survey to express their views on flexible work arrangements. protections for employees against reprisal resulting from making a request; and/or. Canada: Flexible Work Arrangements Proposed By The Government Of Canada 02 November 2016 . The Code provides other rights and protections that help employees achieve work life balance, such as: Rights and protections in support of work life balance can benefit both employees and employers by: As an employee, you may exercise your right to request a flexible work arrangement under the Code. I know that I would not be able to maintain a job given my son's needs. Employees may choose a different work schedule to meet personal or family needs. Employees are also more likely to avail themselves of an opportunity to request a preferred work arrangement if they know they have a statutory right to do so, and employer reprisals for exercising this right are unlawful.”, “FETCO agrees that flexible work arrangements provide an opportunity for employees to enhance work-life balance, if used appropriately. Flexible work as an employment standards entitlement: Furthermore, federally regulated employers should know that their employees enjoy a right to request flexible work arrangements. The impact of flexible work arrangements can also reach beyond the benefits derived by the organization and contribute to the development of a sustainable society. 17 However, we lack a formal policy, and I require approval from a sometimes-unreliable Board of Directors to request and receive my own flex time arrangements when needed.”. Their voices have been heard and will provide a strong foundation for developing evidence-based policy that will help Canadians better balance the demands of paid work and their family and other personal responsibilities outside of work. Who Will This Affect? the requested change would have a negative impact on: the quality or quantity of work and the ability to meet customer demand, and/or, the performance of the employee’s workplace, the employer cannot reorganize work among existing employees or hire more employees to manage the requested change, there would not be enough work available for the employee if the requested change was granted, the requested change does not meet the criteria mentioned in the section, dismissing, suspending, laying off, demoting or disciplining an employee, taking the request for a flexible work arrangement into account in any decision to promote or train the employee, or, you believe you have been reprimanded because you made a request for flexible work arrangements, and, your request meets the criteria outlined in the section. III. Views on whether employees should have a legal right under the Code to make a request for flex work were very polarized. The state government is looking to retain more flexible working arrangements by assessing the economic and social impacts of the shift to working from home during COVID-19. Flexible Work Arrangements Feedback provided to an online survey that sought the views of Canadians on allowing workers in federally regulated private sectors to formally request flexible working arrangements (FWAs) from their employers and which FWAs would help them to better balance their professional, family and personal responsibilities. To print this article, all you need is to be registered or login on Mondaq.com. Flexible work arrangements will not increase any salary, benefit or net operating cost or defer or accrue any salary or benefit obligation. And DAISY are available on demand particular situations some respondents indicated that they had not introducing... All you need is to be an important way to foster consistency across Canada has that. 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