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Department of Transport and Main Roads Flexible Workplace Program — Brisbane Central Pilot

As part of the Queensland Government’s response to urban congestion, many state government agencies, together with a range of CBD companies, took part in a Flexible Workplace Pilot from 1-26 June 2009.

The pilot demonstrated that flexible work arrangements can reduce demand for travel during the weekday peak periods of 7-9am and 4-6pm, and reduce overall travel.

The pilot received a very positive response from participants, with strong feedback indicating a preference to continue to work flexibly.

Participants in the pilot were encouraged to adopt one or more of the following initiatives for the four-week trial:

  • Compressed working week — staff work a standard week but compressed into either four days per week or nine days per fortnight.
  • Flexible hours — staff start work before 7am or after 9am, and finish before 4pm or after 6pm.
  • Telecommuting — staff work from home.

Resources to assist in the implementation of flexible work arrangements are available under Related information at the bottom of the page.

Who participated in the pilot?

Almost 900 individuals across 20 public and private sector organisations within the Brisbane Central Business District participated in the Flexible Workplace Program — Brisbane Central Pilot. Participants included employees across a broad range of professions and skill levels, including managers and administrators, professionals, advanced and intermediate clerical workers, and service workers.

The following organisations participated in the pilot:

  • AECOM
  • Brisbane City Council
  • Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland
  • Currie & Brown
  • Department of Community Safety
  • Department of Environment and Resource Management
  • Department of Justice and Attorney-General
  • Department of Premier and Cabinet
  • Department of Public Works (including CITEC and QBuild)
  • Department of Transport and Main Roads
  • ETM Search & Selection
  • GHD
  • Hyder Consulting
  • KPMG
  • Mirvac
  • Public Service Commission
  • Queensland Treasury
  • Queensland University of Technology
  • Sinclair Knight Merz
  • Transfield Services. 

Key findings

Some of the key findings from the pilot were:

  • The pilot achieved a 34% reduction in morning peak hour travel and a 32% reduction in afternoon peak hour travel amongst participants.
  • The initiative eliminated some journeys altogether through participants adopting telecommuting and compressed work weeks/fortnights
  • Of the three flexible practices offered, flexible hours were the most popular. Many participants chose to use more than one practice.
  • Both employees and employers indicated they had achieved increased productivity through working flexibly during the pilot.
  • 87% of participants reported improvement in their work-life balance.
  • There was high satisfaction with flexible work arrangements – 92% of participants expressed an interest in continuing their arrangements.
The entire Flexible Workplace Program — Brisbane Central Pilot Report (PDF, 2.02 MB)  is available to download and view.
The report has also been divided into parts to make it easier to download:

The research findings and feedback from the pilot will feed into the next phases of the Flexible Workplace Program and other government initiatives.

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Next steps for the Flexible Workplace Program

The future direction of the Flexible Workplace Program provides for the continuation of both public and private sector involvement with flexible work arrangements.

The Flexible Workplace Program - Supported Implementation, coordinated by the Public Service Commission, will facilitate the continuation of public sector agencies' involvement. This phase of the program complements the pilot as it is a longer-term roll-out (until June 2010), in which public sector agencies partner with the Public Service Commission to access tailored coaching, consulting, training and resources to optimise effective use of flexible workplace arrangements.

The TravelSmart Workplaces program, delivered by the Department of Transport and Main Roads, will be offered to both public and private sector organisations and will promote the use of sustainable modes of transport and encourage flexible workplace arrangements to reduce urban congestion. TravelSmart Workplaces will run until 2012.

Flexible Workplace Program - Supported Implementation
Phone: +61 7 3222 2786 or +61 7 3238 3299
Email: feedback@psc.qld.gov.au

TravelSmart Workplaces
Phone: +61 7 3146 1893
Email: pttravelsmart@tmr.qld.gov.au

Flexible Workplace Forum

The Department of Transport and Main Roads held a Flexible Workplace Forum on 11 May 2009, with attendees from government agencies and private businesses, to launch the commencement of the pilot.

The forum was attended by 26 public and private sector organisations, and was hosted by the Hon. Rachel Nolan MP, Minister for Transport. There were a number of guest speakers, and their presentations are available below.

Flexible Workplace Pilot Awards Evening

The Department of Transport and Main Roads conducted a Flexible Workplace Pilot Awards Evening on 26 August 2009, with attendees from the 20 participating public and private sector organisations.

The evening, hosted by the Hon. Rachel Nolan MP, Minister for Transport, acknowledged the contribution of participating organisations in the pilot, shared research findings of the pilot and showcased individual and organisational success stories. Participating organisations were presented with a certificate of appreciation by the Minister in recognition of their support for flexible workplace arrangements as a congestion management initiative.

There were a number of guest speakers on the evening, and their presentations are available below.

Last updated: 01 June 2010