FWC rules on
family-friendly working hours and domestic violence
leave
The Fair Work Commission has ruled on union
requests for changes to workplace flexibility procedures and paid
domestic violence leave.
The union claims were lodged as part of the
four-yearly review of modern awards.
The full bench of the FWC concurred with employer groups
that a right to 'family-friendly work hours' would prevent
management's ability to control rosters and could have a
significantly negative impact on businesses.
The industrial umpire has recommended that employers
be required to confer with employees to try to reach agreement on
flexible work and provide an extensive explanation of reasons
for a decision to refuse it.
The Australian Industry Group chief executive
Innes Willox said the decision was the right call.
"If the ACTU's claims had been accepted, all awards would
have been varied to give employees the right to dictate to their
employer what hours and days they work, with the employer having no
right to refuse regardless of the circumstances," said
Innes.
"The Commission has drafted a model clause aimed at
facilitating discussion between employers and employees about
flexible work arrangements rather than imposing outcomes upon
employers, and has called for submissions on the model
clause."
Moreover, the FWC has announced that millions of
Australian workers will be able to access five days' unpaid
domestic violence leave a year, however it refused the
ACTU's push for 10 days' paid leave.
The new leave provisions are estimated to be available for
2.3 million Australian workers on modern awards.
The leave will be available to employees who
are not able to deal with the impact of domestic violence
outside the ordinary hours of work.
The ACTU secretary, Sally McManus, cited research which
shows that it costs $18,000 and takes 141 hours - nearly all during
business hours - to escape an abusive relationship.
"Millions or workers have been denied their rights today
as a result of this broken FWC decision," said McManus.
"It's completely unacceptable that women have to choose
between abuse and protecting their children and keeping their
job."
If elected, the Australian Labor Party has said that
it will legislate for 10 days' paid leave.
近日，澳大利亚全国总工会向澳大利亚公平工作委员提出更改弹性工作和保护受家暴员工相关的法律条例。委员会已开始起草相关的法案。
正值澳大利亚四年一度的法案条例回顾与修改之际，澳大利亚全国总工会向给出了此项提议。
公平工作委员会的合议庭同意雇主的看法。这一方认为，如果设立法案，给予员工足够的时间照顾家庭，自由选择上班的时间，那么公司将无法妥善管理员工按时出勤的状况，对日常业务的运转有巨大的负面影响。
工会这一方则建议，雇主应该尽力与员工商议弹性工作时间的问题，如果最终无法达成一致，那么雇主应该给出后续相关的理由，以解释为何要拒绝这个提议。
澳大利亚工业集团的首席执行官Innes Willox表示，工会的建议是正确的。
Innes说："如果澳大利亚总工会的提议被正式接受了，那么这就意味着相关的一系列法案都需要修改，员工被赋予了决定工作时长的权力，不受雇主的控制，而无论在什么情况下，雇主则没有权力拒绝员工的决定。"
"委员会已经起草了一份示范条款，目的在于促进雇主和雇员之间关于弹性工作时间的磋商，而非强制雇主接受弹性工作的提议，并且委员会已经准备提交这份草拟的条款。"
另外，在保护受家暴伤害的员工这一方面，公平工作委员会宣布，成千上百万的澳大利亚工作者将能够获得每年5天的不带薪假期。工会曾提出给予受家暴伤害的工作者10天的带薪假期，但是委员会否定了这一提议。
新的休假条例将适用于将近230万受劳动法律保护的澳大利亚工作者。
如果一些员工遭受到家庭暴力，并且无法仅仅在工作以外的时间处理家暴所带来的影响，那么他们可以获得一定时长的假期。
澳大利亚全国总工会的秘书长Sally
McManus说，研究表明逃脱一段具有虐待性的关系需要花费18000美元，141个小时，并且基本上都处于工作时间。
McManus说："工作公平委员会拒绝了10天带薪休假的提案，那么今天百万工作者的权益都受到了损害。"
"女性工作者不得不在忍受虐待和保护孩子，维持工作之间做出选择，这是完全不能让人接受的。"
澳大利亚工党表示，如果当选，那么会将十天带薪休假的提议合法化。
翻译：俞亦岑
来源：
https://www.hcamag.com/hr-news/fwc-rules-on-familyfriendly-working-hours-and-domestic-violence-leave-248144.aspx