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An employee seeking to move her Saturday volunteering work to weekdays has been cleared to proceed with a dispute over the refusal of her flexible work request.

The Fair Work Commission ruling is "helpful" for employers because it clarifies the circumstances in which someone aged over 55 years might seek to change their working arrangements, says HR Law practice group leader Kristin Ramsey.

The employee worked as a full-time graphic designer for label manufacturer CCL Label Australia, and volunteered on Saturdays with the South Australian Ambulance Service.

In September 2023 she requested to compress her full-time hours into four days – Monday through Thursday – so she could volunteer on Fridays and keep her weekends free...