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IAG Reps have some important updates to share regarding flexible working arrangements at IAG, unpaid overtime, and how you can get more involved as a union Rep – please see below for details.

As always, if FSU members have any issues or concerns, please reach out to your IAG Reps:

Kai Bristol, Rosalyn Watts, Candice McHale, Stephen Philip, Wayne Johannsen, Tiffany Toth, Gillian H Chang, Evonne Coletti, Troy Dick, Catherine Stewart and Aleta Larder

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IAG fails to respond to our WFH requests

It has been over two weeks since the FSU wrote to IAG regarding our request to suspend the in-office mandate during this fuel crisis. Unfortunately, IAG has not bothered to respond.

It's simply not good enough that IAG management has left our questions and genuine attempts to engage unanswered. This issue is too important for IAG’s leadership to ignore.

Your FSU Reps and our supporting FSU Organisers are discussing how IAG employees can further respond – we’ll be making changes to ensure we are better placed to take action and organise across IAG departments.

Importantly, this lack of action by IAG leadership should be a wake-up call for all of us to get more involved in standing up for ourselves and each other. We can change the situation by showing that we are not indifferent to our working conditions and that the world is impacting our lives – and that we demand a fair response from management.

IAG is refusing to change its organisation-wide in-office requirements. However, IAG will consider individual circumstances and requests.

If you are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis and would like to reduce your work from office (WFO) requirements, we encourage you to make a flexible working arrangement (FWA) request to your managers by following these steps:

1. Speak with your manager about setting up a FWA. If you experience push-back, don't let this deter you and politely let them know you will be putting through the request in writing. Here is a template email you can use to make your request in writing.
   
   
2. Be sure to send yourself a copy of any outcomes and forms from this process so you have your own records. Remember, it’s always to your benefit and protection to have your own copies.
   
   IAG has a formal policy and system for recording FWAs.
   
   If your request has already been denied but this hasn't been provided to you clearly in writing, you should raise the request officially via the MyFlex form.
   
   
3. If your request is accepted, you should still record this in the MyFlex form to ensure you are protected if you are restructured to a department with a more restrictive policy or if your leader is changed. As these things are out of our control, even the best relationship with your leaders or department should be reinforced with a recorded FWA.
   
   
4. If your request is denied in writing and you are an FSU member, now is the time to speak with the FSU about getting support to challenge this decision. Call 1300 366 378 today.
   
   
5. If you are not a member, please consider joining so you can get the support you need.

Addressing our concerns through our next Agreement

Our 2024 IAG Enterprise Agreement has a nominal expiry date of 30 October 2027, with negotiations for our new Agreement set to begin well before then.

This will be our chance to secure improvements to our working conditions, including guaranteed pay increases, leave, super and overtime. Importantly, conditions set in our Agreement cannot be changed by IAG in the same way that internal policies can be changed by management on a whim.

If IAG employees are organised and ready to work together now, we stand a greater chance of winning the Agreement we deserve in 2027.

So please speak to your colleagues about joining the FSU and be ready to get involved in negotiations.

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Are you working unpaid overtime?

IAG employees have recently reached out to FSU Representatives with concerns about their workload and feeling pressured by management expectations to work unpaid overtime.

We are hearing reports of staff being encouraged to hide the fact that they are working outside ordinary hours and feeling pressured to avoid conversations about excessive workloads for fear of performance management or other negative treatment.

This behaviour is simply wrong and unacceptable. In fact, it’s a sign of a system that makes workers feel they cannot be honest and that they will not be treated fairly.

If you are required to work outside your ordinary hours to complete your workload, you must be paid accordingly or IAG should accept that this work will not be completed as currently structured.

FSU members can view an information sheet on unpaid overtime here.

Our union is currently working with members on this issue and seeking to organise groups of those impacted for larger supportive action. We encourage anyone who finds themselves in this situation to reach out to the FSU for support and discuss what can be done.

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Want to better support your colleagues and make a difference at IAG? Become an FSU Rep!

If you’d like to get more involved with the union in supporting your colleagues, now is a great time to become an FSU Representative (Rep) and help us build momentum!

FSU Reps are IAG workers and FSU members who volunteer to support their colleagues on individual concerns and larger organisational issues. FSU members can read more about these roles here.

At a minimum, you’ll need to attend a regular monthly meeting during work hours, (on-phone staff will have scheduled time to attend), and share information on FSU activities and support with your colleagues.

The FSU provides training on how you can contribute as an FSU Rep, including your rights and protections and those of the workers you support.

These positions also provide huge opportunities to learn about leadership, engage confidently with your colleagues, provide strong, honest advocacy for the issues most important to you, and to learn more about the rights and protections workers have in Australia.

FSU representatives support workers at IAG by:

• speaking to your colleagues to spread awareness and engage new members.
• engaging with your leaders to share the concerns of your fellow workers and discuss solutions.
• acting as a support person for colleagues and advocating for the concerns and challenges faced by your fellow workers.
• supporting industry wide FSU activities, including engaging with government programs aimed at supporting workers, discussing political issues, and so much more.
• supporting or taking part in enterprise bargaining negotiations to help improve our pay and working conditions.

If you’d like to discuss these opportunities further, please contact your IAG Reps or the FSU directly.