Best Practice Case Studies - Work Life Unit

General Staff Member - Part Time Return from Parental Leave

I'm a Hew 8 and have been at Monash for almost 10 years. Four months after my wife gave birth to our first child I went on full time parental leave, returning to work on a .4 fraction. We had a strong preference to have the baby looked after at home and felt that it was important that each of us was equally involved in his upbringing. My wife also wanted to return to her position as a solicitor. Combined with our financial ability to manage a period of reduced earnings, my return to work on a part-time basis was the best, and most practical option available to us. Our son is now three and a half and has started kindergarten this year. I am still working part-time but I'm hoping to return to full-time after he starts school.

This arrangement has required some adjustment for my manager and I. Whereas the majority of my time as a full time staff member was once devoted to more immediate short-cycle work, my transfer to part-time has led to a shift towards more long-cycle project work. My manager also has had to ensure that he consults regularly with me to overcome any communication gaps that might arise while I'm caring for my son at home. This included rescheduling the weekly Branch meeting to make sure that I can attend.

Despite the adjustments, my manager agrees that this arrangement is continuing to work well and considers that it has been a positive experience for all concerned.

Parental Leave

General Staff Member - Study Leave

While the post graduate study I am undertaking in Management allows me to apply contemporary HR practices to my work environment and in the long term will enhance my career opportunities, studying while working full time is a big commitment. Study leave enables me to complete my assignments and to attend classes that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to manage.

Study Leave

Academic Staff Member - 48/52 Scheme

I'm a Practical Class and Teaching Co-ordinator with the Department of Physiology. After taking a full-time position I became aware of the Voluntary Reduced Working Year Scheme being implemented as part of the Enterprise Agreement (Academic and General Staff) 1998.

As a mother of three school-aged children, I realised that a 48/52 arrangement would allow me to take leave to coincide with school holidays, as well as giving me the time to pursue my own interests. So I sought my manager's approval to participate in the scheme and have been working on a 48/52 basis ever since.

While the 48/52 arrangement has been an ideal solution for me, its success relies on the willingness and ability of both the staff member and the department to be flexible in their approach to getting work done; a view shared by the Department's Resources Manager. 48/52 has worked well for me because I only take leave periods that coincide with breaks in teaching periods. Before I go on leave I make sure that priority tasks are completed and that all the necessary arrangements are in place for my support staff to take care of any issues that might crop up in my absence. Because I 'self-manage' my periods of leave to this extent the department's operations are not disrupted, and I am able to take the breaks I need to have more time with my family and time to myself.

Voluntary Reduced Working Year

General Staff Member - Fractional Appointment Scheme For Retirement Planning Purposes

As an administrative assistant in Student Administration, I was finding the long days associated with the unit's peak workload periods increasingly tiring. While I was already planning to retire at the end of the year, I felt that I would have to leave the workplace earlier if I could not reduce my hours of work.

Being aware of the university's 'pre-retirement' policy, I approached my manager, to discuss reducing my time at work to a 0.8 fraction. With my manager's support, I was able to make the transition to my new fraction early the next year. I now spend each Wednesday meeting friends, playing golf or pursuing other personal interests.

Although during the first few months of this arrangement, I felt I was trying to complete a full-time workload in part-time hours, the workload demands eventually settled and I'm now reaping the rewards of working part-time. Without question, I'm enjoying life more than I have for some time. Working part-time allows me to make the transition to retirement on my own terms. I am sure that I would have been forced to retire earlier than I wanted to if this option hadn't been available to me.

Fractional Appointment scheme for Retirement Planning Purposes

Supervisor - Home Based Work

I'm a senior manager in a faculty and have been working at the University for several years. I live an hour and a half from the campus and until recently commuted to Clayton Campus each day.

My wife works near home and my daughter attends a local secondary school. Relocating to Melbourne at this stage of our lives was not an option for the family. I sought my manager's approval to commence working from home one day per week. Since commencing home-based work I've found I'm less stressed and have higher levels of concentration. I also find I am mentally more alert and my work time is more productive. I am thus able to balance my work and family commitments more effectively.

In order to maintain the workflow, I need to plan ahead, providing guidance and direction to staff while keeping informed of day to day operational tasks via email and by telephone. I think the critical success factor for a home-based work arrangement is to set clear objectives, maintain open communication and learn to self manage.

Home Based Work Policy