# Types of flexible work Official source: https://www.employment.govt.nz/fair-work-practices/flexible-work/types-of-flexible-work Scanned: 2026-06-07T03:31:31.402Z Use this as a current official guidance reference, not as a substitute for legal advice. ## Page Text Home Fair work practices Flexible working Types of flexible work Flexible working Fair work practices Workplace policies and procedures Employee privacy Restructuring and workplace change Unions and bargaining Ethical and sustainable work practices COVID-19 in the workplace Pay and gender equity Flexible working Types of flexible work Asking for flexible working arrangements Responding to a flexible working request Working from home Everyone Types of flexible work Employees can ask to change their work arrangements, place, hours or days. Benefits of flexible work arrangements Flexible work Can include changing the times or days an employee works, where they work from and how they do their work, for example, job-sharing. Employees can request flexible working arrangements at any time. arrangements can help employees balance their job with their responsibilities outside of work, manage health conditions or move to a new town without having to change employer. For employers, flexible work arrangements can: retain skilled employees and reduce recruitment costs raise employee morale and decrease absenteeism meet labour market changes more effectively. Employers may also offer flexible working as a reasonable accommodation. For more information about reasonable accommodations, see: The hiring process Types of flexible work Flexible work arrangements can mean changing: the times or days an employee works, for example, working part-time instead of full-time, or changing shifts or days of work how employees do their work, for example, job-sharing where an employee works, for example, from home when an employee starts or finishes work. Flexible work hours Flexi-time/adjusted hours — employees work for an agreed total number of hours but can choose when their work day begins and ends. They may need to be at work during set core hours, for example, 10am to 4pm. Time in lieu/time banking — any extra hours worked are compensated for by paid time off. Flexi-breaks — stopping for breaks at times that suit the employee’s particular workload or preferences. Part-time/reduced hours/job sharing/job splitting — working less than full-time hours. The job may be re-designed, or responsibilities shared with other part-time employees. Working less hours Employees may have to agree to a reduction in pay if they want their employer to agree to them working less hours. Flexible weekly work pattern Allows for more days off, fewer days commuting, or more time to manage other responsibilities without reducing the hours worked. Compressed week — weekly full-time hours are worked over a shorter time period. Weekday/weekend swap — swap working on a weekday for working on a weekend day. Weeks on/weeks off — working 1 or several weeks and taking 1 or several weeks off. Flexible yearly work pattern Provides options to take limited or extended time off from work to manage family or personal responsibilities. Term-time working — working during the school terms and taking paid or unpaid time off during school holidays. Annualised hours — working an agreed number of hours on a yearly rather than a weekly basis. Buyable leave — exchanging an agreed reduction in salary for extra periods of leave over a specified period. Flexible career options Provides options to structure an employee’s career around other interests or responsibilities. Career break/sabbatical — taking an extended period of leave (normally unpaid). Phased retirement — progressively reducing hours of work until full retirement is reached at a specified date. Phased return/gradual return — hours of work are progressively increased until target hours are reached. Often used by parents returning from parental leave. Self-managed work — employees work in their own way, often without direct supervision, towards an agreed goal. Job rotation/role rotation — employees move between 2 or more jobs so they can cross-train and develop a wider variety of skills. Flexible work location Work from home or from another branch or office either full-time or some of the time. Work from home Published: 11 March 2024 Last modified: 13 November 2025 Written for: Everyone Share this page: Print this page: