Who Decides Whether Employees Can Use Flexible Working Arrangements?

Key findings

• 50% of businesses advise their employees verbally about the availability of flexible working arrangements. 30% include it in their employees' employment agreements.
• In 44% of organisations offering at least one flexible working arrangement, staff learn of options only when they specifically ask about them.
• Employers report that decision-making about flexible working arrangements is likely to be undertaken by supervisors/managers (37%), business owners (34%) and other management (36%). However, employees report that their supervisor or manager is most often the decision-maker (58%).
• People who rate their work-life balance more highly and as easier to achieve are more likely to identify their supervisor or manager as the decision-maker.

How are employees advised of flexible work arrangements?

Businesses used a range of ways to advise their employees of flexible working arrangements. Half of the businesses which offered flexible work advised their employees verbally (50%) about their availability. Some employers included it in their employees' employment agreement (30%).

Large organisations with more than 100 staff were more likely than smaller organisations to use:

• a notice board/intranet (28%)
• Human Resources department (15%).

Organisations with fewer than five employees were more likely to inform staff verbally.

Almost half of the businesses surveyed, however, reported that staff learned of these options only when they specifically asked about them (44%). This was less likely to occur in the government, administration and defence, and health and community services sectors, which were more likely to inform staff through their employment agreements.

How do employees apply for flexible work options?

In most cases, people could ask for flexible working arrangements verbally (84%). Thirty-four percent also reported that staff could (or must) apply in writing, although this was more common in larger organisations with 20 or more staff.

Who makes the decision?

When asked who in the business or organisation most frequently made the decision about whether staff can use flexible working arrangements, employers reported that:

• 37% is done by the supervisor/manager of the staff member
• 36% by other management
• 34% by the owner of the business.

In small organisations of 10 or fewer employees, this was most likely to be the business owner. In larger organisations it was most likely to be the supervisor/manager.

Employees reported a slightly different picture. Fifty-eight percent identified their supervisor or manager as being the decision-maker, followed by 31% who mentioned other management.

Does it matter who makes the decision?

When the results for work-life balance and ease of getting it right were viewed in the light of who makes the decision about whether an employee can use flexible work arrangements, there was only one significant difference. People who rated their work-life balance more highly, and found it easier to get the right work-life balance, were more likely to identify their supervisor or manager as the decision-maker.