On 21 April 2021, the Victorian Public Service (VPS) released the VPS Flexible Work Policy (policy). The policy was developed to provide guidance and sets down the ground rules for the implementation of flexible working arrangements across the Victorian Public Service in response to the changed nature of the workplace created by the Covid 19 pandemic.
The Covid 19 pandemic and the associated lockdowns in Victoria has changed the face of how we work and creates an opportunity to reshape the workplace of the future. The VPS recognised this inevitable change to how their employees will expect their work lives to look and the changed expectations of many of their employees to work flexibly in the future.
Along with the policy, the VPS have also released a range of additional supporting guidance documents to support leaders across the VPS to implement the new policy. These additional guidance’s include:
- Ways to embed flexible work in the employment lifecycle;
- How to implement flexible work in your organisation; and
- Victorian Secretaries Board guidance note on expectations of working days.
The new policy is also supported with a set of guiding principles associated with the new policy. The guiding principles are:
- We start from a position of flexibility;
- We focus on outcomes;
- We lead by example;
- We put health, safety and wellbeing first;
- We embed flexibility through the employment lifecycle;
- We come up with solutions that work for everyone;
- We maintain privacy;
- We embed a culture of growth and development; and
- We champion equity.
The implementation of the new policy will present a challenge for leaders across the VPS as they implement the new Flexible Work Policy with their teams and their employees. The individual arrangements will vary across team’s dependent on the services their teams provide, their work location, their previous working arrangements and the requirements outlined in the Victorian Public Service Enterprise Agreement.
To assist with implementation of the VPS Flexible Work Policy, Worklogic has been conducting workshops for leaders across various VPS Departments in how to understand the new policy and guidance’s and how to practically implement the new flexible work arrangements with their teams. These workshops also support leaders in how to have appropriate conversations with their teams and employees in order to successfully implement the new policy.
Any leader in the VPS needs to make themselves very familiar with the new policy and guidance’s and be prepared and ready to have discussions with their teams and employees about implementing flexible work arrangements. These conversations are coming as we move out of lockdown and start to return to the workplace and you will need to be ready. Are you ready?
