1 . Will my salary be affected?
With any work life balance working arrangement, an employee will be paid for
any work that they carry out. If for example, someone avails of part-time work
or job-sharing, they are working less hours than a full time employee and their
salary will be reduced pro rata. With term-time working, where the employee
takes three months leave every summer, they will be paid for only nine months
work. It may be possible to have their total salary paid out in equal amounts
over the entire year. This however can be decided at an individual level. For
other work life balance working arrangements such as teleworking/e-working etc.,
details may need to be worked out at an individual level and may be based on
work produced/projects completed, depending on the nature of the work.
2 . Will using work life balance working arrangements affect my promotion opportunities?
Work Life Balance Working Arrangements should not affect a persons promotion
opportunities. If an employer fails to promote an employee because he or she is
availing of work life balance initiatives, the employee may have a claim under
the Employment Equality Act, 1998. In the Gerster Vs Freistaat Bayern case, for
example, the European Court of Justice held that Helen Gerster, who worked 50%
of the full time hours was entitled to have her employment treated as full-time
employment for the purpose of calculating length of service when it came to
assessing her application for promotion. The court did not accept the argument
that a civil servant working part time needed to work for a greater period of
elapsed time than full time workers if they are to acquire the professional
skills necessary for duties at a higher level.
Work Life Balance policies can be taken to mean those policies which assist
workers in combining employment with their family life, caring responsibilities
and personal life outside the workplace. They are not intended to be aimed
exclusively at parents, carers or any one group. These arrangements are, in
general, available at a local level where they may be implemented as an
opportunity to reconcile work and family life while at the same time
contributing to the effective and efficient operation of the enterprise. These
arrangements should be worked out between the employer and the employee in order
to help identify different options that have the potential to meet the many
diverse needs of different employers and employees. However, the reasons for
which arrangements may be made available may be restricted by specific schemes
in particular employment's.
4 . Can I avail of flexitime while job sharing?
Job sharing is an arrangement to divide one full-time job or to share work
between two people with the responsibilities and benefits of the job being
shared between them. The job can be shared in a number of ways on the basis of a
split week; (e.g.: 2 and 3 day weeks); on the basis of a split day or on the
basis of week on, week off. In some cases flexitime may be feasible to operate,
for example in a week on/week off situation where the employee may arrive and
leave within certain flexible bands. However, in the case of a split day, the
flexitime system may not be appropriate. Job sharing tends to be quite a
specific arrangement with specific parameters but exact details can be decided
in consultation between the employer and the employee or with his or her trade
union representative.
5 . How will Work Life Balance Working Arrangements affect my existing pay and conditions?
In general when you opt to work any particular work life balance working
arrangement it is important that conditions/rights applicable to the scheme
should be discussed and clarified in advance with your employer so that all
parties are clear on their rights and obligations. Pay is normally paid on a pro
rata basis when working reduced hours as part of a work life balance working
arrangement. Employment conditions such as access to promotion, training,etc
should not be effected by your decision to opt to work a pattern other than the
standard full-time hours.
6 . Can I avail of Work Life Balance arrangements to spend more time caring for my elderly parents?
Good work life balance working arrangements should to the greatest extent
possible embrace and recognise all potential caring responsibilities of an
employee and should not be limited to particular categories of caring
responsibilities. Work life balance working arrangements should be developed on
a partnership basis between an employer, employees and their trade union
representatives in order to accommodate the needs of employees and those of the
organisation. Therefore ask your employer, personnel unit or trade union
representative for details of the work life balance working arrangements
available in your workplace
7 . There are no work life balance working arrangements in my workplace; how can I avail of any of these options?
Contact your union and/or employee representative to get their advice and raise the matter with your supervisor/employer to discuss the feasibility of work life balance working arrangements in your workplace.
