Griffith has a range of workplace flexibility arrangements available to staff
Workplace flexibility is an important attraction, retention and inclusion measure for a diversity of staff, and can promote environmental sustainability by reducing employee commuting.
Work location
Griffith introduced the Work location policy in 2021 that outlines our position on
- the location of work and
- work design principles that provide supervisors and heads of organisational units with a balanced approach to decision making on work locations for staff.
Staff seeking an arrangement for a flexible work location should initially review the Working from a Residential Worksite website to understand the who can be supported and the health, safety and wellbeing obligations that need to be met as part of work from home arrangements.
Sustainable Development Goals
Griffith University is aligned to the United Nation's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and is committed to promoting gender equality, sustainable cities and communities, decent work and reduced inequalities, working towards a world where opportunities are equal for all, regardless of gender, and where economic prosperity is accessible to everyone.
Flexible working in our enterprise agreements
Griffith's Academic and Professional Staff Enterprise Agreement outline a range of formal flexibility options.
For academic and professional staff this includes the Flexible Work Year (section 13.4) and Reversible Part Time Appointment for the Care of Dependents (section 13.3).
For professional (general) staff this also includes variable hours (section 30.1) and flexi time (section 30.2).
Breastfeeding, expressing, parenting and parking
Breastfeeding, expressing and parenting facilities are at our Gold Coast, Logan, Mt Gravatt and Nathan campuses.
Parking permits are available for staff who are pregnant (see Special permits - Pregnancy) on the Parking permits site.
To support workplace participation, Griffith also has a procedure for breastfeeding in the workplace.
Childcare and school holiday care
Griffith Early Childhood Education Centres offer quality education and care from three months of age to five years on the Nathan Campus. Search for other childcare using your criteria on the Australian government startingblocks.gov.au site.
Griffith Sport Active Kids is run in the school holidays at the Mt Gravatt Campus. Griffith has a Children in the Workplace policy.
Leave
Griffith has a range of leave provisions including Parental Leave; Family, Cultural Obligations, Domestic and Family Violence and Other Special Circumstances Leave.
We have an Extended Leave Toolkit to assist those going on long leave.
Remote working
As part of our workplace flexibility offerings, and where appropriate, Griffith supports staff to work remotely and telecommuting from a residential (home) worksite up to 40% of their workweek. Find out more about our policy, practice, health and safety expectations, supervisor obligations, how to apply, and frequently asked questions.
Leave types
Recreational leave
Griffith offers four weeks of recreation leave for each year of service. Part-time employees accrue recreation leave on a pro-rata basis. Casual staff do not accrue recreation leave. Staff are encouraged to access their accrued recreation leave to maintain good health and a positive working environment.
Long service leave
Employees are entitled to access long service leave (LSL) after completing 10 years of recognised continuous employment with Griffith. LSL accrues at the rate of 1.3 weeks for each year of continuous service and a proportionate amount for part of an incomplete year. Part-time employees accrue LSL on a pro-rata basis.
Sick leave
Full-time Griffith employees accrue 10 days of paid sick leave per year. Part-time staff accrue paid sick leave on a pro-rata basis. Casual staff do not accrue sick leave.
Other leave
Griffith also provides for a variety of other leave types including:
- Domestic and Family Violence leave
- Reserve Forces Leave
- Emergency Services Leave
- Jury Service and Court Attendance Leave
- Gender Affirmation Leave
Parental leave
Parental leave and partner leave are available to all Griffith staff on fixed-term and continuing appointments. Parental leave provides employees, of all genders, the opportunity to participate in childcare duties, to care for their child or children as the primary care giver during the first year of their parenting relationship, which in turn supports women’s participation in the workforce. Partner leave is available to employees who are not the primary care giver of their child or children, usually in support of the time of the child’s/children’s birth or adoption.
Parental Leave Pay – Department of Human Services
Family, cultural and other special leave
This special category of leave provides up to 5 days paid leave within a total calendar year for all absences arising from the following:
- Family Circumstances for employees who need to care for a member of their household or family when they are ill and no other care options are available. If the illness is of a nature or frequency that it exceeds the annual five-day total, sick leave may be used for caring purposes.
- Special Circumstances applies where the employee experiences pressing or emergency circumstances that preclude their attendance at work. Examples of this may include natural disasters, a bereavement where there is no familial relationship, or additional time off where the individual is mourning the death of a close family member. The approval of such leave is discretionary and requires agreement from the Head of Element. Approval of this type of leave would be appropriate where the nature of the special circumstances is unusual, out of the ordinary and that there is not a more appropriate leave type available.
- First Peoples Obligations applies where an employee is required by Aboriginal tradition or Torres Strait Island custom to fulfil formal cultural obligations related to the culture with which the employee or the employee’s partner, family and/or community group identifies.
- Special Circumstances may also apply where there is a requirement for an employee to fulfil formal cultural obligations which preclude their attendance at work. Examples of this may include religious events where the staff member has a formal ceremonial role to play that cannot be conducted outside of work time, or where there are formal religious death rites conducted a year after the initial bereavement. The approval of such leave is discretionary and requires agreement from the Head of Element. This type of leave is not normally available to attend or observe religious and cultural festivals, however, attendance at these events may be supported through other leave types such as recreation leave.
The entitlement and responsibilities relating to this leave type is outlined in the relevant enterprise agreement, either the Academic Staff Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025 (s.29) or the Professional & Support Staff Enterprise Agreement 2023-2025 (s.36).
Leave and benefits
Griffith is committed to providing flexible work arrangements and a range of leave types to support participation in the workforce for diverse peoples
