Your enterprise agreement says that an appropriate balance between your work and personal life contributes toward healthy and productive workplaces, builds positive morale and assists in strengthening your social and family relationships.
While there may be unavoidable peak work periods where workload increases,
this should be the exception rather than the norm. You should be compensated for
additional hours by overtime payments or time off in lieu. There is something
you can do about it!
What is a reasonable workload?
The tasks allocated to you should be able to reasonably be performed in the
hours that you are employed to work. This means that you should not have to work
additional hours all the time to get your work completed.
Part time employees should be allocated less tasks than full time employees.
The Fair Work Act 2009 - National Employment Standards (NES) state that in
determining whether any additional hours you need to work are reasonable, the
employer must take into account:
The risk to your health and safety
Your personal circumstances including family responsibilities
The needs of your workplace and if you are entitled to receive overtime
or penalty rates
The nature of your role and the level of your responsibility
Any other relevant matter.
What should management do?
Your enterprise agreement says that management will:
Ensure employees have sufficient and appropriate resources to undertake
their jobs
Ensure tasks allocated can be reasonably performed in the hours you work
Monitor employee workloads, work patterns, priorities, staffing
levels/classifications, use of work-life balance arrangements
Implement strategies to ensure workloads remain reasonable
Monitor vacant positions and fill vacancies in timely manner; and
Consult with employees and their nominated representatives over workload
issues. (clause 47.7)
What can I do?
You have the right to request a review of ongoing and sustained workload
issues in the workplace. When you do this in writing, management will consider
the workload factors and issues raised, their effect on the workplace and
implement strategies to ensure reasonable workloads are maintained.
Talk to your workmates. If you have a high workload, they
probably do too!
Contact your CPSU organiser – they can help you with your teams
request to management.
Not yet a member? Your union can give you information and
assistance to help you improve your working life.
Join online here or ring 1300 137
636.
