A Queensland hospital boss who wanted to regularly clock off at 2.36pm has lost her fight for flexible hours after a tribunal ruled she needed to be on hand during the busiest part of the working day.

Kelly Meakin, a senior administration manager in the Women’s and Children’s Services Unit at Logan Hospital, sought greater flexibility over her working hours, including the ability, on occasion, to start at 6.30am and finish at 2.36pm.

But Queensland Health only partially approved the request, with conditions, arguing Meakin’s role required her to be available during the busy unit’s core hours of 8am to 4pm.

Meakin challenged the decision, arguing, among other things, that she had been treated differently from colleagues who enjoyed flexible arrangements.

However, Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner Daniel Pratt dismissed her appeal on October 15.

‘It was simply not operationally viable, even though it suited Ms Meakin, for Ms Meakin to commence work at 6.30 am every day and be gone just after 2.30 pm because her presence was needed between 8am and 4pm,’ he wrote in his published decision.

‘Specifically, that she holds a senior role, managing a busy workplace, where she proposed being absent for a large portion of each working day during the hours that she was needed most.’

Ms Meakin is responsible for supervising 32 staff, responding to short-notice leave, managing daily workflows, and maintaining continuity of services across the women’s and children’s service during its core hours.

A Queensland hospital boss who wanted to regularly clock off at 2.36pm has lost her fight for flexible hours in the industrial court

Metro South said no other suitable employee was available to cover Ms Meakin’s absence

Queensland Industrial Relations Commissioner Daniel Pratt (pictured) sided with Metro South

She suggested an executive support officer could cover her telephone duties during her absences, but the commission accepted that the officer did not have the authority to make staffing decisions.

‘It is not fair to that person to put them into a position to carry out work in the absence of Ms Meakin which is work they do not have the delegation to carry out,’ Commissioner Pratt determined.

Ms Meakin also argued that colleagues enjoyed similar flexibility and raised allegations of discrimination and bullying during the internal complaints process.

She pointed to two other employees whom she said had been granted similar working arrangements.

But Metro South said the first employee did not have a formal flexible working arrangement. Instead, they worked full-time and took accrued time off in lieu at pre-approved times that suited operational needs, an entitlement Ms Meakin had also been afforded.

A second employee temporarily filled Ms Meakin’s role while she was on leave and was allowed to maintain their existing working hours because of childcare commitments.

Metro South said no other suitable employee was available to cover Ms Meakin’s absence at short notice, and that the arrangement was temporary and not sustainable in the longer term.

Commissioner Pratt found neither employee’s circumstances were comparable to Ms Meakin’s.

Ms Meakin is responsible for supervising 32 staff, responding to short-notice leave, managing daily workflows and maintaining continuity of services at the hospital during its core hours

Ms Meakin also said a GP had recommended flexible working arrangements for her return to work and argued the medical documentation supporting her wellbeing had not been properly considered.

But Commissioner Pratt found her original flexible work request made no mention of advice from a GP or health reasons.

‘There is nothing in those notes referring to any advice from a general practitioner substantiating the request for the FWA or calling it into error as a result of what Ms Meakin now argues is a failure to consider that information when making the original decision,’ he wrote.

He said the health-related material had not been put before the officials who considered her request.

‘I do not therefore accept Ms Meakin’s submissions that there was a failure to consider any health-related documentation.’

The ruling follows other Queensland public-sector battles over workplace flexibility.

In 2024, Queensland Health lost an appeal involving former manager Daniel Hume, who applied to work entirely from home in March 2021, claiming it made him more productive and enabled him to spend more time with his family.

After a senior director denied his request, instead proposing he work in the office two days one week and three days the next, Hume launched a legal fight to overturn the decision.

Queensland Health took the matter to the QIRC, taking the position that spending more days in the office helps workers switch off after work and avoid a sedentary lifestyle.

They also argued that Mr Hume needed to have face-to-face interactions as part of his job as a manager.