Coronavirus: Union, employers reach landmark white collar work from home deal

New agreement under the clerks award allows more flexible hours, spread of penalty rates for those forced to stay home.

The new deal will allow workers to better juggle hours when forced to work from home. Picture: Supplied

New flexible work arrangements will be introduced for employees forced to stay at home during the coronavirus pandemic under a landmark agreement between employers and the Australian Services Union affecting one million white collar workers.

The historic deal for businesses and employees covered by the clerks award temporarily extends the spread of working hours that do not attract penalty rates from 6am through to 11pm on Monday to Friday and 7am to 12.30pm on Saturdays.

Minimum allowable shifts for casuals and part-timers at home will be two hours and they will be able to work across award classifications.

It will allow employers and employees to agree to change hours of work when working at home without additional labour costs to businesses.

It means workers working from home will be able to better juggle their work and family responsibilities and complete work in the hours that best suit them.

Under the agreement, businesses will be able to reduce hours of full time and part-time employees to 75 per cent and direct workers to take annual leave at half pay with one weeks notice.

The ASU has struck the agreement with the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Australian Industry Group.

The union said the changes mean workers would be allowed to work from home across much extended hours, reflecting the unique situation where workplaces have virtually emptied to comply with social distance and isolation rules.

The agreements affects white collar workers including administrative staff, office workers and call centre employees

It said the temporary changes will also allow for more flexible access to annual leave and allow the workforce to vote for a reduction in hours so that workplaces can band together to get businesses through the crisis where needed.

ASU National Secretary Robert Potter said the changes reflected the pragmatic approach being taken by the union with a focus on keeping people in work.

“We’re talking to our members every day and workers are saying their number one priority right now is to keep their jobs,” said Mr Potter.

“These changes are practical, recognise the reality of the crisis and are temporary so that we do not lose any of the rights and entitlements workers have fought for in the long term.

The Australian Chamber’s workplace policy director Scott Barklamb said the agreement was “historic”, allowing more employers to stay in business and keep workers in jobs.

“It provides significant aid to a number of businesses in uncertain times,” he said.

Australian Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox said there were hundreds of thousands of clerical and administrative employees in Australia, many of whom are currently working from home.

“The negotiations with the ASU and ACTU over the past week have not been easy. However, the parties have had the shared goal of making sure that awards are not a barrier to businesses and workers getting through the current crisis with the least hardship possible. The aim is to keep businesses operating and their people employed,”