Work-life balance
Work-life balance means supporting employees to meet their work and personal commitments. This helps to create positive, healthy and productive work environments.
To assist you to achieve work-life balance, the Department provides a range of flexible work arrangements, as outlined in Flexible work arrangements: A guide for employees, managers and principals in the Department of Education, Training and the Arts (new window) 874k 
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The Flexible Working Practices brochure (new window) 172k 
showcases a range of flexible work arrangements that have been successfully negotiated and implemented across a range of occupations and work contexts within the Department.
An information sheet (new window) 99k is available which summarises the concept of flexible work arrangements, and highlights the role that managers, principals and employees play in negotiating and implementing these arrangements.
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Flexible work arrangements include a variety of options for short- or long-term changes to work and/or leave arrangements.
The flexibility may relate to how, when and where work is done.
Employees can choose an option that best fits their personal and workplace needs, including:
- Part-time work - Employees work less than the full-time weekly hours of duty under the relevant award or certified agreement.
- Job sharing - This involves the voluntary sharing of duties and responsibilities of one position between two employees, and can be tailored to suit a variety of circumstances.
- Flexible attendance - An employee can negotiate start and finish times with their principal or manager, and to take unplanned days off without loss of salary. This is usually approved on the basis that work rescheduling is possible, or that lost time will be made up.
- Breastfeeding and lactation breaks - Some mothers may wish to continue to breastfeed their baby after they return to work. They will require lactation breaks to express breast milk or breastfeed their baby or leave the work site to feed their baby.
- Purchased leave - This provides public sector employees with access to additional annual leave and an annualised salary.
- Deferred salary scheme - This allows all permanent teachers to defer part of their annual salary over four years. The deferred salary component is then paid to an employee during the fifth year while they access pre-approved sabbatical leave.
- Medication or treatment breaks - When returning to work after an injury or illness, some employees may require the option of part-time work or other flexible work arrangements or gradual return to full-time work after leave.
Access to flexible work and leave arrangements varies for different categories of employees. Managers and principals will need to check the relevant industrial agreements, legislation and departmental policies.
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To organise a flexible work arrangement, employees need to:
- Consider their work-life balance needs and which flexible work option might assist them.
- Develop a proposal for a flexible work arrangement.
- Discuss the proposal with their manager or principal. For approval, flexible work arrangements must meet the needs of individual employees and the work unit or school.
- Record the agreed flexible work arrangements in writing for sign-off by employee and their manager or principal.
- Review the effectiveness of the arrangement on an agreed date with their manager or principal.
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The tools below will help you to organise a flexible work arrangement.
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Proposal for flexible work arrangement (new window) 49k This template provides space for employees to jot down their ideas for a proposed flexible work arrangement that they discuss with their manager or principal.
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Agreement for flexible work arrangement (new window) 102k An employee and their manager or principal use this template to record the details of what they have agreed for the employee 's flexible work arrangement. It includes a checklist of key things to consider so that the arrangement is effective.
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Review of flexible work arrangement (new window) 52k An employee and their manager or principal use this template to jot down their thoughts about how the flexible work arrangement is going. It asks whether the arrangement is effective and whether there are suggestions for improvement.
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