NZNO Submission to the Department of Labour on Quality Flexible Work: Increasing Availability and Take Up in New Zealand

December 2006

NZNO Submission to the Department of Labour on the Quality Flexible Work: Increasing Availability and Take up in New Zealand discussion paper, November 2006.

Discussion document seeking views on what will best help employees achieve quality flexible work and meet the needs of businesses.  It provides information about what quality flexible work is, how it can benefit employees and workplaces and why it is important to implement it in NZ.  It outlines a range of ways to increase the uptake of flexible work in workplaces, including legislation and working in partnership with employers, employees, unions and the government.

NZNO considers that the only way to achieve Quality Flexible Work in New Zealand is to give employees the right to request flexible working hours and ensure employers take these requests seriously, through legislation.  Information, resources and knowledge alone may go some way to achieve flexible work, however the government’s emphasis is on quality flexible work and to achieve quality requires legal obligations as well as information and resources.  Shift work and ageing nursing workforce is identified as critical issues that can be addressed by quality flexible work legislation.

Download or view submission as a PDF