The COVID 19 pandemic has changed the way we work and the expectations of how work is performed. While we have all shown that we can work effectively in blended mode, mixing work from campus with work from home, there is now an opportunity for us to consult on how we want to work that moves beyond the location of where we work.

The Our People Program Board would like to review the different types of flexible working.  This would incorporate the different ways people work to complete tasks, and how to balance the needs of staff, their teams, our students and the University, with the aim of positioning Macquarie University as a future-focused leader and preferred employer within the higher education sector.

We know the approach to working flexibly is something that you are keen to explore.  Both the May 2020 and October 2021 University-wide staff survey indicated that hybrid approaches to flexible working arrangements are inevitable and essential for the success of Macquarie University post the pandemic.

When it comes to work, there is not one size that fits all, given our diversity of work. Each person will have their own ways of working, what works best for them and their teams, as well as for the University in general.

With that in mind, as part of the University’s Operating Plan under the Our People program, we have commenced a three-phase Flexible Work Project to help develop and implement a University-wide framework for working flexibly.

The three phases of the Flexible Work Project are:

Phase 1:  Develop and consult on a draft flexible work framework

Phase 2:  Develop training and support tools to enable flexible work

Phase 3:  Support and embed flexible working in University-wide culture

We are now in Phase 1 of the Flexible Work Project.  Under Phase 1, the draft flexible work framework sets out proposed guiding principles for working flexibly and examines different types of flexibility from location, time, different work modes and platforms.

But to understand how this could work for you and your teams, we require your input on the draft flexible work framework.

In the next few weeks, you will receive a request to take part in Phase 1 of the Flexible Work Project.  We encourage you to take part in this project and help co-design a Macquarie University flexible work framework.  Your feedback is important to us, and more importantly gives you the opportunity to help shape the way you work with your colleagues, and the broader University community including students, in 2022 and beyond.