Activities per year
Abstract
In early 2020, many Australians found themselves working from home when workplaces were forced to close or drastically limit the number of workers on site to slow the spread of COVID-19. Schools were also closed which meant that a large subset of workers were also responsible for caring for and home schooling children. To meet both work and family responsibilities, more workers than ever before required flexibility in the way they worked. The COVID-19 pandemic created an unprecedented workplace context in which flexible work practices predominated for workers with family responsibilities. The experience presents us with a unique opportunity to examine the right to request flexible working arrangements in s 65 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth). In the aftermath of COVID-19 there is likely to be an increase in the number of requests for flexible working arrangements. Many employers also predict embracing more forms of flexibility in the way they work. We argue that our changed workplace behaviour could lead to a cultural shift in thinking about how the law can better facilitate a worker’s ability to manage their work and family commitments and outline how this might be achieved in the context of s 65.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 77-94 |
Number of pages | 18 |
Journal | Australian Journal of Labour Law |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 1&2 |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
Keywords
- Labour Law
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Australian Labour Law Association National Conference 2021
Dominique Allen (Organiser) & Adriana Orifici (Speaker)
11 Nov 2021Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to conference
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Workshop for the Special Issue of the Australian Journal of Labour Law
Dominique Allen (Invited speaker) & Adriana Orifici (Invited speaker)
11 Sept 2020Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course
Press/Media
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Why flexible working arrangements for women is good business
Dominique Allen & Adriana Orifici
24/03/22
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Article/Feature
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WFH shift should spur reform of flexibility request rights: Study
Adriana Orifici & Dominique Allen
7/10/21
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Article/Feature