A flexible work and leave policy sets out the how employees in your business or organisation can manage:

• time away from work when they need it
• an ongoing work arrangement that helps them with their responsibilities and needs outside the workplace.

A flexible work and leave policy is a shared reference point for organisations and employees to work out what options are available, and the process employees should follow when seeking leave or a flexible work arrangement. 

Your flexible work and leave policy may be supported by other policies in your workplace, such as a grievance policy if there is a disagreement about a leave application, or obligations under an unacceptable workplace behaviour policy.  

Learn more about workplace policies including:

• what makes a good workplace policy
• how to implement a policy at your workplace
• links to other templates. 

Your organisation may decide to deal with leave and flexible work in separate policies – and that’s ok.

What the law says

Leave and flexible work arrangements are regulated by workplace laws. 

Organisations have legal obligations to ensure leave and flexible work is offered in compliance with the workplace laws that apply to them and the employee. Learn more about paid and unpaid leave entitlements. 

Some employees have a legal right to request flexible working arrangements. Learn more about flexible work arrangements.

Having a policy can help your organisation know and comply with its legal obligations.

Offering more, fairly

Organisations can offer their own leave and flexible work arrangements that go beyond the minimum entitlements. For example, by having a policy that supports cultural and ceremonial leave for First Nations employees, reproductive experiences or gender transitioning. 

Having a policy can help your organisation take a standardised approach to managing leave and flexible work and limit unfair or arbitrary outcomes for individual workers.

How to use this template

This is a guided template for organisations and businesses. You will need to consider what is right and practical for your workplace and the resources available to it.

Download the template, follow the prompts, adapt it to your organisation, delete the guidance notes and add your branding. 

Be sure to communicate it to any workers that it applies to. Make sure they can access it, and that they know who to ask if they have questions. 

But remember: This template is general only and doesn’t cover specific scenarios or types of organisations. It should not be relied on for legal advice or to cover any legal obligations your organisation may have in relation to any or all its employees. 

Federal and state workplace laws may regulate leave and flexible work differently and require your organisation to do different things.

Awards and enterprise agreements may also provide their own additional arrangements for leave and flexible work that need to be followed. 

Further, some workplace laws, like the Fair Work Act, mandate a process to deal with disputes about the right to request flexible work arrangements, or requests to extend parental leave. 

It's important to seek your own advice on what your organisation's obligations are.

Learn more about:

• understanding which employment system applies
• employee minimum pay and conditions
• employment disputes.

Download the template