Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

Office123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118615254#Comment_118615254

I just feel the return to office is poorly handled by HR. No notice was given. An email circulated saying you must be in the office one day a week starting next week. The local unit didn’t even set a date then until the day before. If they gave a months notice saying everyone in the office from 1st March fine, I would have time to organise myself. Book tickets transport etc. Get a fixed place so I wudn’t be mixing and possibly contracting or carrying COVID.

also, I did not expect the housing crisis and now rental crisis to worsen so much. A little yes. But to the scale that Daft.ie have reported today as the lowest amount of rentals since it’s creation in 2006. Followed by the announcement of 100,000s new jobs this year. I thought the economy would be slow to grow back after the pandemic but it’s absolutely booming - prices going through the roof like it’s the swinging 20s again.

xeresod

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118613023#Comment_118613023

Great work there, bet you work in CSO!!!

I reckon the different responses within the same Departments is due to the wide ranging variety of work with them, especially as Revenue & DAFM seem to be the ones with the greatest variety of answers....Revenue have Customs operating 24/7 which would have continued as normal even during the lockdowns and DAFM has three distinct distinct silos, the general admin which were probably WFH for most of the time, but the Inspectorate and Veterinary sides would have been operating as normal which for them is farm/factory based with very little (and in some cases, none) office attendance even pre-covid.

hardybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118615796#Comment_118615796

What happens if you don't go in?

Gusser09

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118615796#Comment_118615796

I feel your pain.

In my Dept. we have contractors being told they can WFH but Civil Servants told they have to attend the office.

Vologda69

Our manager (backoffice DSP) is putting no pressure to return to office. Those who have returned are doing 1-2 days in the office. Long term policy due in quarter 1

Office123

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118616149#Comment_118616149

They have already upped it to two days in the Office now. Haven’t even been in one day yet. They sent an email this time, showing that their building a case. Funny thing is that the essential business that must be done in the office was previously done remotely :D

Talking to my younger cousin today, most private sector firms are open to remote working now and are offering it to attract the best graduates. I just need to stay a few more months until I get a job in the private sector.

Avenger2020

I would talk to a journalist. Seems to be the only way to get them to do anything. Shows how heartless senior management is in the civil service.

rostalof

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118556826#Comment_118556826

Your post is a little confusing. What promotional scenario in the civil service doesn't have a salary increase attached to it?

Bellie1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118619496#Comment_118619496

I think this should be highlighted to media after the DPER scheme is announced and if it's unfavourable. It's ironic that the govt have targets re climate and Leo is spouting off re WFH, and in the one area that the govt can control, they limit to eg 1 day a week, have no flexibility etc. Can't believe that it's expected that there will be zero roles with fully remote.

Anyway maybe DPER will surprise us (says uncynical me)

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118619496#Comment_118619496

The pandemic has really shone a light on the attitudes of many senior people in the public service. They don't give a fcuk about staff (or in many cases, customers) They pretend they do by bullsh*tting about mindfulness and minding your mental health initiatives. While ordering people back to the office - with this starting within months of the start of the pandemic. Zero fcuks given about those people who were living with vulnerable relatives, having great difficulty accessing childcare or other services etc.

The same types can usually be found getting their photos taken at Darkness Into Light walks.

Climate Action - another form of hypocritical virtue signalling. Sh*tting on about the need to do something and then telling staff with long commutes to get back to the office, producing tonnes of CO2 per year while doing so.

the union needs a fire lit under it

and it's both comedic and tragic that it would take an organisation of workers to set that up first

Dr. Bre

Also a lot of talk of the cost of living recently on the news - the return to the office means transport costs and petrol will increase for us which was saved from WFH.

Avenger2020

You’re dead right about climate action. The government won’t cut commutes as its a prime revenue for them. With the carbon tax in May they willbe reeling in it so that Senior Management and politicians can get fat pay checks. On Climate action, this government is pure hypocrit. They re all talk nothing else.

same for DPER work plan, I wudnt hold my breathe. Better to go to a journalist now before the plan is published and it will be years before its changed.

road_high

Revenue and tax intake trumps any fluffy nonsense about “climate change”. That’s all purely for photo opps, control and extra taxation.

WFH is an obvious environmental benefit but in contrast here we have the state effectively banning it for their direct employees

gazzer

Why are the unions so bloody quiet about the issue?

Avenger2020

The unions will have a lot on their plate this year. With the huge jump in the cost of living. Private sector are looking for 5.5% increase in salary. Any increase would be extremely slow in the public sector - we saw how drawn out the 1% increase was.

The 200€ towards electricity goes to everyone so it just drives inflation for everyone. Should have gone to low/average paid workers etc. We will definitely feel the pinch this year and the union will have to do something. If the union doesn’t act on this though people will leave to save the money.

SouthWesterly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118614638#Comment_118614638

SouthWesterly

If you are planning on leaving, just cancel with the union directly

It's nothing to do with payroll 😁

James2020App

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118620316#Comment_118620316

Maybe question for another thread, but as a new enough member of the civil service, about three years in. I do not get civil servants fascination with unions and how many within the ranks recommend you joining them.

A large crux of their beef seems to have been trying to get new joiners on a level playing field as pre-2011 people. This is pretty archaic mindset to begin with as CPI or inflation has increased 8.3% between 2011 & 2021 (Per CSO https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/cpi/consumerpriceindexdecember2021/ ) So despite wages increases even more than inflation in private sector, the unions are still consistently harpening on about very outdated request.

Surely to goodness leaving wage increases aside the whole WFH or return to office is the biggest ticket item in a decade these unions are dealing with. Plus if sold correctly could be a clear way to reduce costs across the CS rather than increase them. (Less building space, less office equipment, less security, less canteen costs, I could go on), environmental benefits, mental health benefits, work-life balance benefits, rural rejuvenation etc etc. However the unions are appearing as mice in it all and not offering any strong views on it.

Thank God I don't pay them a cent, because they are absolutely useless from what I can see...

Avenger2020

Everyone should put in for a transfer outside of Dublin, even if u don’t intend to take it. That would get DPER shaking in their boots.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621328#Comment_118621328

What is 'outdated' about expecting an employer to pay the same salary to staff at the same level ?

EarWig

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621328#Comment_118621328

Absolutely useless is not correct. Their limited usefulness is because of their limited power. Their power is limited because it is very hard to get their 'troops' behind any grievance. 80% of staff will just ignore any union instruction that is designed to put pressure on management. Limited also because we've had over 40 years of anti-union sentiment. It's so entrenched that a lot of staff members share it.

Fine Gael is just incredibly conservative. They are really out of sync with the times. Deliberately delaying the legislation so that employers would have no legal constraints on them at the end of the pandemic and then writing the legislation so that it reads more like something to prevent WFH is funny. And then Varadkar is so conceited that he thinks his media skills are so tremendous that he can present himself like a progressive.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118621328#Comment_118621328

 (Less building space, less office equipment, less security, less canteen costs, I could go on)

Do please go on, because none of those apply. If the Department of Education has 20% of its staff WFH it can hardly lease out a floor of Marlborough Street to a private sector company. They still need the office equipment for the people in the office. And people will be looking for printers for home use. Less security, how, exactly? They still need the same security for physical buildings, and they also now need to provide encrypted laptops and 2FA for those WFH. Canteens aren't subsidised (may be different in the public sector, but certainly in the civil service they're not) so there never was a cost.

In fairness, CS unions used to be stronger, but they've definitely given up the fight in the last 20 years or so. The financial crash (not caused by civil servants) was used to break the unions - pay freezes, pay cuts, extra hours, worse terms and conditions, removal of family friendly policies, etc. They're mainly now a way of accessing slightly discounted insurance. They should absolutely be fighting tooth and nail for the best and most flexible WFH terms possible, but they're pretty much silent.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118624193#Comment_118624193

In the private sector people at the same level often don't get paid the same. In the public sector people get increments and long service increments so again not all the same.

Part of the reason to join public service is the benefits build that with time served.

The reason to reduce pay and conditions with new entrants is to reduce the cost of the public sector over time. The alternative is to reduce it for existing staff. But that is fraught with more problems.

Flinty997

Unions have brought this in themselves. They do little so people lose faith in them.

I'm not in the CS but my experience with unions is they've mostly not done what I would have wanted them to do. My pay and conditions have decreased. But on the flip side I've seen the bully boy tactics from management they hold in check.

In terms of wfh or remote working not heard anything from the unions. I expect I'll be back in the office most of the time shortly. Maybe that's what unions want.

johntune

Bertie killed the unions with love.

leanbh

DIRECTIVE (EU) 2019/1158 is directive on work life balance in being since 2019.

Ifyou're a civil or public servant and you've children under 8 and/or you have caring responsibility for elderly or disabled relatives you don't need to wait for any new legislation- you can request work from home as part of a flexible working request under that directive.

(It only applies directly to civil/public sector. Private sector employees have to wait for the much talked about new legislation)

Of course, your public sector employer can refuse but they have to give reasons.

And if they don't (or the reason is bull) you would have a right of action at wrc.

I think if they are allowing some staff to wfh and some not, (and those staff are carrying out similar tasks/ or at the same grade) that employer might be on thin ice.

I've never seen the unions make civil servants aware of that directive???

LegallyAbroad

Plenty of civil servants want to be back in the office, so the Unions aren't going to be gung-ho in opposition to Departments returning gradually to some office presence.

Two days now and eventually a return to three days in is still very flexible.

Avenger2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118625063#Comment_118625063

The 3-days in won’t be in place until April.

For March it will get to five days.

it’s happening so fast in my department nobody is even kicking up.

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118624966#Comment_118624966

When you say new legislation, are you talking about the Right to Request Remote Work (i.e. Spoofer Varadkar's rubbish) or the transposition of the EU directive into Irish law. Surely both would apply equally to the private sector and public sector.

I read that the transposition has to be completed by 2nd August 2022. I presume that it will be left to the last minute and that the directive is of no benefit to workers until it is transposed.

I agree that there is very low awareness of the directive. The first I heard of it was when I saw it mentioned in ICTU's submission to the right to request remote work public consultation.