This is defined as reconciling the “demands and responsibilities of professional life and those of family life.” Certainly, workers in recent years have put growing importance on the need for specific measures to strike such a balance. From the moment it came into being, APS has made this a core issue in its representations and the Association takes particular pride in the gains it has made in the area of flexible work schedules.
APS members may now organize their own work schedules, subject to the approval of their respective supervisors. Greater latitude is ensured through a method of remuneration based on thirteen-week periods, compared to other methods where calculations are based either on individual weeks or a two-week period. For example, an APS member who is required to work 40 hours per week must put in 540 hours in a given quarter. The employee may then apportion the required working time within this total number of hours. Overtime is also paid at the end of this period.
This formula offers flexibility that enhances work-family balance by allowing for shorter work weeks as required for family commitments or even to have more family time during certain periods in a quarter. In the end, the employee works as many hours as a colleague whose work hours are spread over one or two weeks. For some, this arrangement even allows planning for longer weekends.