Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005746#Comment_119005746

ive observed a very particular inflexibility and insistence that x or y is a massive insurmountable issue in your outlook whenever WFH come up tbh, has struck me as quite at odds with what id normally associate with your posts on work topics or generally.

a 9-12 year old in a house with an adult who is working but can check in or can be sought in the event of something arising is in no ways a problem

anyone raising it as such is verging on being a crank tbh

Addle

There has to be a distinction between home life and work life while you’re at work, no matter where you’re working.

Current circumstances do not compare to emergency measures during the pandemic when schools/crèches/childminders were not open.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005960#Comment_119005960

Making that distinction is not reliant on location.

Most people are perfectly capable of making that distinction when working from home.

For me, its when I log off and close my work laptop.

Flinty997

In my opinion you can only wfh with kids/teens if they are latch key kids and you have physically separated workspace. Where your presence is handy but not essential.

Wfh home during the holidays vs school year is very different experience for myself.

That's said coming from an open plan office I'm well used to putting on the NC earphones to isolate from others, and can relocate around the house if needs be, as we set up hot desks when we were all at home in lockdown.

Addle

Just so long as parents/guardians distinctly remember to log/clock out when doing pick ups/drop offs or feeding kids after school or whatever other non work related responsibility they have.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006237#Comment_119006237

That should be a requirement in an open plan office anyway and your PC/laptop should be setup to do that automatically.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006237#Comment_119006237

Don't forget for toilet breaks too. Or when they have to answer the front door. Or get up to let the dog in /out of the back garden.

Cant be doing any of those things on company time.

🙄

i think if we can maybe move back towards "job is set out clearly and measurably and delivered as expected" as a prerequisite to yknow a job at all in any context we can perhaps start to talk about the actual topic here again and not whether one must clock out when leaving their **** laptop for a piss or whatever

martingriff

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119006275#Comment_119006275

Do you leave the work place building to go to the toilet ie your house? I bet before covid when you were in the office you didn't clock out for toilet breaks (maybe cigarette breaks) but if you were leaving the building you were supposed to anyway

Mrs OBumble

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119005866#Comment_119005866

You're the one who put insurmountable into the picture.

This issue is totally solvable: worker needs to have childcare (or elder/dependant care) in place, so that another is clearly responsible for the care /supervision during working hours.

Even using your lunchbreak to do pickups is not appropriate: it's supposed to be a break / relaxation time for the worker, not a time to do different work.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010468#Comment_119010468

🙄 Shopping is "work". Making a lunch is "work". Having a chat with elderly parents is a pleasure.

Flinty997

If it was totally solvable there wouldn't be childcare and elderly support crisis.

The idea behind flexible working is to be flexible and allow accommodations between other aspects of life.

exitstageleft

Your lunch break is your own time to spend as you see fit. Saying it's not appropriate to do pickups is a ridiculous comment.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010468#Comment_119010468

LegallyAbroad

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119010468#Comment_119010468

Ah now come on. You can do whatever you want with your lunch break!

i think that's a response that underlines the point i made tbh, I'll leave it there

jjnaas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119011118#Comment_119011118

That post speaks to a level of control that those most opposed to WFH are afraid of losing. The idea that everyone needs to do the same thing on a lunch break is nonsense. How you unwind and recharge differs based on many things including personality type.

johntune

I have seen a Remote Working Policy for a Civil Service agency. They are requiring 60% attendance.

its going to vary

dreadful rumours about ours but no point jumping at rumours

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020189#Comment_119020189

Does the 60 percent working in the office include weeks that have a bank holiday or do you only need to be in 2 days those weeks?

firminjo

My place has 40% minimum in office till Dec, as a pilot, what dya think the chances of that being kept up? Is it too low for overall CS?

firminjo

Fingers crossed

johntune

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020603#Comment_119020603

It didn't specify in the policy.

Shuffl_in

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020665#Comment_119020665

I don't think anyone can predict the chances of that being kept. Most are expecting 60% but there's a lot of speculation out there.

It certainly seems progressive and proactive compared to most departments, including my own. They're still dawdling about with no hint as to what to expect. The expectation is they'll give as little as they possibly can.

I'm quite high up the mobility list for other departments in my area. Never had any intention of moving and my applications have always been on hold but if I could swap from 60% in office to 40% in office I'd do it in a heartbeat.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119020665#Comment_119020665

How would it be too low? If it's a pilot, then presumably they've some way of measuring productivity, and if it stays level or improves, then there's no reason not to continue as is, and plenty of reasons why they would continue - savings in office space, able to employ more people, save on energy & carbon, etc.

Dog knows when our place will finally publish a policy, but until they do, most staff are still WFH fulltime unless their unit physically requires attendance in the office - so I.T., facilities, reception staff are rostered 40% in the office. Some others prefer working in the office and come in voluntarily, between 1 and 5 days. Fully expecting a policy, when it does appear, that will be somewhere between 0% to 40% in-office, unless you're working in the aforementioned sections.

skidmarkoner

And in the office when you have that 15 minute chat by the canteen or bathroom breaks.

It all dwindles down to do you get paid for your time or your work because I for one don't mind sitting at my desk for 8 hours a day ignoring the world around me but will I be more productive he'll no.

If you perform well why change it?

My department wants everyone to work a minimum one day a week from home, as per the government guidelines of 20% remote working.

That's not to say that 5 days a week in the office won't be allowed - but their view is that unless someone has some exceptional circumstances that doesn't allow them to work home, everyone should do at least one day a week WFH.

HartsHat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118913504#Comment_118913504

I've been back 5 days a week for a few months now and I must say I'm really enjoying it. Much better for my mental health and enjoyment of work overall.

Burgo

Radio silent about it in our place. The union rep sent an email around last week stating that HR have yet to engage with them on the matter which isnt great!

JoeSexton

We have been back in the office 5 days a week now for 7 weeks...still none the wiser as to what's going to happen long term. It's an absolute joke at this stage. I work in IT and am far more productive working from home.

Burgo

Anyone work in Agri? I would be interested to know what their current working arrangement is and how its looking going forward.

PM me if you like!