TMS applauds new NZ Government ‘flexi’ workplace legislation

TMS Asia-Pacific has roundly applauded the introduction of the New Zealand government’s Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007* which has given employees with caring responsibilities a statutory right to request flexible work from their employers.

TMS general manager, Australia/New Zealand, Ainslie Hunt said the new legislation in effect provided a huge opportunity for the ever-growing numbers of New Zealanders, and particularly parents, looking to return to the workplace who need to work more flexibly in order to achieve a better balance between job and family commitments.

Of even more importance, she said, was the government’s advice that it intends further reviewing the Act in 2010 when it will consider whether the statutory right to request flexible work should be extended to all employees.

“The part time, job share, work from home and casual talent pool offers a vast source of potential talent to travel and hospitality industry employers prepared to consider this section of the workforce,” she said.

“It makes good business sense too for a variety of reasons – from increased staff motivation, productivity and retention and improved customer service – and from the perspective of that all important bottom line, considerable reductions in overall operational costs.”

Ms Hunt said that in client facing roles, the challenge in front of employers has always been the question of the impact part-time, job share and flexible hours have on the client relationship.

“There is concern that clients, used to dealing with the same person where and when they want to, will be lost if they (the clients) don’t feel they are receiving the same level of service.”

“Add to that their fear that staff working on a part time basis or from home lack commitment and motivation.”

“The right flexible staffing environment in which employees are well matched in terms of their competencies in combination with well structured operational procedures can readily provide the solution to all of these concerns.”

“This new legislation will definitely encourage the mature end of the market to re-enter the employment scene.”

“We have gone down the ‘Gen Y’ path for ages.”  “Now there is a real opportunity for employers to re-focus on evening up their team dynamics via the re-introduction of employees from a variety of different generations who can make a huge difference in today’s highly competitive, very job heavy travel industry environment.”

“This is more than a major step forward for the New Zealand employment landscape – it’s also a breakthrough for common sense,” she said.

*Coming into effect on 01 July 2008 the Employment Relations (Flexible Working Arrangements) Amendment Act 2007 provides certain employees with the right to request a variation to their hours of work, days of work, or place of work.

To be eligible for the ‘right to request’ an employee must have the care of any person and have been employed by their employer for six months prior to making the request.

When making the request, the employee must explain how the variation will help the employee provide better care for the person concerned.

The Act requires employers to consider the request for flexible working arrangements and provides the only grounds upon which they can refuse a request.

The Act provides a process for how requests are to be made and responded to and also provides a process for resolving disagreements relating to a request for flexible working arrangements which may arise from time to time.

A review of the Act will be completed in 2010 and will consider whether the statutory right to request flexible work should be extended to all employees.

A Report by The Mole