A two week trial period allowing two of our VIP Iconic Chauffeurs, Greg and Jason were implemented during the Coronavirus pandemic since April of 2020.  During this trial, a variety of flexible working hours were proposed.  The more flexible work hours were trialled to assist Iconic Chauffeurs with combining their family life and work-life together.  For years we use a system where chauffeurs were rostered on 12-18 hours shifts and days off and 2 hour long breaks were included in the roster.  This meant that many of our chauffeurs were up to early to see their family off to school or work or have breakfast and would come past their families normal bedtime.  While the Iconic standard is high and demanding and the shift and money is great and enjoyed by our Top Tier Chauffeurs over time this was seen as very difficult to maintain a happy work/life existence for some, not many.

The trial tested the financial viability of allowing Iconic Chauffeurs flexible working shift hours as well as the health and enjoyment of the chauffeurs.  The results were positive.  In the words of Jason, "I finally heard my son say love you dad goodnight".  This in itself shows exactly what the concerns raised were and how this new policy on flexible chauffeur work shifts can help bring a smile to our long demanding days.

The Flexible Chauffeur Work Hours will work in the following setup:

1. Rosters will be allocated for the whole of the next month and provided within 7-14 days of the last date of the working month as normal.
   
   
2. Rosters will be allocated as either an 8 hour shift or a 12 hour shift.
   
   
3. You will be required in your shift to complete the entire full 8 hours or 12 hours of online driving hours to fulfil your shift, exclusive of normal breaks or if you use the Split Break Time offer option.
   
   
4. The rosters no longer:
   1. will display a 14 hour shift which included the breaks.  Instead the rosters will be allocated for the minimum of an 8 hour to a maximum of 12 hour shift.
   2. The rosters no longer will have you on a 14-18 hour shift.  This excludes AS DIRECTED, VIP JOBS and our MOVIE PREMIERES.  Work on these jobs could continue to be 18 or more hour shift chauffeur jobs or as required.
   3. will inform you to return the vehicles to the base.  When you are rostered on consecutive days you will be allowed to take the vehicle home with you as long as you secure the vehicle in a safe location (for instance: a garage or locked gated area) and guarantee the vehicle is not parked far at a distance from your residential area or in a highly likely location of vehicle theft.  As normal if the vehicle is stolen or damaged and it is found to be your fault you will be liable for the excess of all insurance claims. 
      1. Where you are working on a single day the vehicle is required to be returned to base as norma.
      2. Where you are working and your rostered days off are more 2 or more days, the vehicle must be returned back to base as normal.
         
         
5. A call sheet roster will be created and allocated to you and you will be informed to return of the vehicle to base if:
   1. you are rostered on a single day
   2. you are allocated 2 or more consecutive days off.
      
      
6. On the day of your shift, you will be required to commence your chauffeur run as instructed on the call sheet.
   1. All chauffeur policies, codes and procedures will be required to be followed as per normal.
      
      
   2. During the working hours of your rostered chauffeur shift:
      1. you will be required to complete all of the total 12 hours of chauffeur driving time if you are rostered on a 12 hour shift.  If you are rostered on an 8 hour shift you will be required to complete a full 8 hours of chauffeur driving.
         
         
      2. you will be allowed to do the complete the 12 hours in full if you want, taking the appropriate breaks based on the fatigue management policy.  You must take no less than 1x 15 minute break during a rostered shift.
         
         
      3. you can use the new Split Break Time code.  The Split Break Time Code allows you to have a full 2 hour or a full 4 hours of break time do things that are personal to you or your family. 
         
         
      4. You cannot use the Split Break Time Code in smaller partial amounts or intervals.
         
         
      5. If you decide to use the Split Break Time flexible hours option you cannot have any other normal breaks as per the company policy for chauffeurs as mentioned in the Chauffeur Break Policy.
         
         
      6. If you have already had a normal break as per the Chauffeur Break Policy, you cannot use the Split Break Time flexible hours option for or during the same chauffeur shift.
         
         
      7. Using the code is simple. It is the same as entering a normal break code. 
         1. To use the Split Break Time code:
            1. you enter SBT2 @eventmanagers if you want to use the full 2-hour split shift break.  You do not need to use the OFFLINE code, but you need to go offline on your iPhone Chauffeur Job Program.
               
               
            2. you enter SBT4 @eventmanagers if you want to use the full 4-hour split shift break. You do not need to use the OFFLINE code, but you need to go offline on your iPhone Chauffeur Job Program.
               
               
         2. You must keep the GPS tracker on at all times during your Split Break and you must have the company iPhone on at all times, in case @eventmanagers or a supervisor has to call you for an emergency.
            1. If you are interrupted during your Split Break time and are asked to do a chauffeur job or chauffeur related work, you are now being paid overtime on that extra time 2 hour or 4 hours code for being interrupted on top of your normal salary.  If this happens you need to add it on your Chauffeur Event Time Sheet.  Accounts will check it with the logs from Slack.
               
               
         3. When you have entered the Split Break Time code you keep the vehicle and you can use the vehicle for your personal need to pickup your child, do your shopping, drive home.  This is allowed.  Per company policy if you damage the vehicle or are in an accident the normal procedures need to be followed, vehicle accident form and if you are at fault you are responsible for the excess.  The good thing is you have a vehicle to use for your personal needs.  This was never allowed before.
            
            
         4. When you have finished your Split Break Time use the code SBTEND @eventmanagers to end your personal break time.
            
            
      8. After finishing the use of your Split Break Time go into the Chauffeur Job Program and go online.
         
         
      9. If you used the Split Break Time flexible hours option you now need to complete the remaining drive hours displayed on the Chauffeur Job Program.
         
         
      10. You can only use the Split Break Time offer option:
          1. Twice in any chauffeur rostered shift if you use SBT2.
             
             
          2. Once in any chauffeur rostered shift if you use SBT4.
             
             
      11. The Split Break Time offer option cannot be used during or commence at or between the following times/period Monday to Sunday.
          
          1. 6:00am to 9:00am
          2. 4:45pm to 6:00pm
          3. 2-4 hours before a VIP Job
          4. When the Job Map shows registered Hot Spot Areas. The Chauffeur must drive towards and into the hot spot area to assist with the increase workload.
          5. When @eventmanagers or a supervisor informs them on slack that it is not available before the Split Break Time has been entered by the chauffeur.
          6. When you have already used or taken a normal break as per the Chauffeur Break Policy on the same working shift.
             
             
      12. All chauffeurs must maintain the requirement and high standard of all KPIs for Iconic Chauffeurs before, during and after using the Split Break Time offer option.
          
          
7. At the end of your shift, if you used the Split Break Time offer option you will be required to enter your Split Break Times in the Break Time part of your Chauffeur Event Time-Sheet.

The use of the Split Break Time offer option is not compulsory and is an option of flexible working hours to help improve those who want or need to balance their work/home/personal lifestyles.

Questions Asked and Answered:

1. David Phillip | 29-Jun-2020 01:02 | 
   Question: Why is it NOT necessary to enter the "Offline" code on slack when using the Split Break code option?
   1. answered by @nikolas.harrington 29-Jun-2020 14:59
      1. the split shift code auto-logs you offline for work, but keeps you active if the demand is high and you are needed to come back to work earlier.
         

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2. david.phillips 23-Jun-2020 11:43
   Question re-the split shift policy. It does say you are allowed to use the two hour split shift twice in a day. Am I allowed to use it back-to-back? Asking only in case I find I’m going to need more than two hours today at base today.
   1. answered by @steve.baltzois 24-Jun-2020
      1. No you cannot use the 2 hours shift back to back. If you want 4 hours then use the 4 hour split shift. The split shift puts you on a break and all job allocations are altered to provide the chauffeur with 2 hours of no work. By doing the 2 hour back to back, it puts unnecessary work load on the job allocations and we try to allocate the work every 30 minutes to keep the vehicles running.
         You can use two lots of 2 hours, however you need a 2 hour interval between the two to allow us to reallocate the work.
         You can always use the 4 hour split shift and if you finish early end the 4 hour split shift break early. You cannot then have more split shifts in the same day or shift.