Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

TaurenDruid

It absolutely won't work for everyone or for every workplace, but it will also absolutely suit others. E.g., a colleague of mine has to call in to elderly parents and can just about manage that at lunch, but has to go back in the evening. The flexibility of just having to work afternoon into evening or just early morning up to lunchtime would really suit them. Likewise, someone with young kids who are only in school/creche for a couple of hours could really benefit. It's the 21st century, we've proven we don't need to follow 20th work patterns any more, this is just another extension of that. And if it also meant access to services for the public over longer hours, all the better!

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737402#Comment_120737402

As a manager what are you meant to do if somebody wants to work 6:30-2 and another person wants to work 2-9, and you need to organise regular meetings? If you have a large team 10-15, keeping track of infinite hours that possibly change by the day would be a minefield There needs to be some level of commonality and some level of core hours for basic efficient working.

Missy95

Can I ask you what jobs offer full remote work?

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737402#Comment_120737402

Someone like your colleague could benefit by making a local arrangement. A guy in my dept had a local arrangement with HR that he started work at 11am to 7pm as he had to take care of his father in the mornings, and that was 20 years ago.

Like WFH before it, if non-core hours did become an option, it's availability would be entirely dependant on business needs, and would come down to the roles involved, and not the needs of the individuals performing those roles.

TommyShelby

Are departments permitted to have no remote working available whatsoever?

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737472#Comment_120737472

In the civil service? None that I am aware of.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120738285#Comment_120738285

Each department was supposed to offer a pilot scheme for blended working, based off DPER's framework, by last October. I'm not aware of any government departments that no remote working available whatsoever. Certain sections might not have it, but not whole Departments, AFAIAA.

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737420#Comment_120737420

I'd go with Loueze's answer there:

Like WFH before it, if non-core hours did become an option, it's availability would be entirely dependant on business needs, and would come down to the roles involved, and not the needs of the individuals performing those roles.

Your scenario is easy to manage with a spreadsheet. Do I need to have a regular all hands team meeting? Can it be done virtually? Can one or other of you arrange to attend a once-a-week meeting even though it's now not part of your normal hours? Yes? Great. No? Then if you can't be that flexible, neither can we. "I regret to inform you..."

To my mind, it's exactly like arranging annual leave with adequate cover over the summer; or sorting applications for the shorter working year when you've a good few parents of school-going children on your team. You get in all the applications, you see if they can all be accommodated. If they can? Happy days. If they can't. Sorry, folks, we need X people in, minimum, over those four weeks - can ye discuss and come back. And sometimes you decline leave, or say no, you can't have 4 weeks SWY, but we could accomodate two.

Business needs come first, but if business needs are being met, then offer flexibility. Because that helps loyalty, retention, and my own (and the business' need) for flexibility at times, too.

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737637#Comment_120737637

Completely agree but unfortunately many take a view of "entitlement" based on individual wants, especially if Mike in the dept next door gets to do it... some will say "if I can't then I am being bullied and I will be off to the union" and the manager is on the hook for unfair treatment

shmeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737420#Comment_120737420

I know that the non core hours that was sent for review in Revenue was set hours. So you requested to work 7-2.30pm and that was set. You couldn't decide to work 10-5.30pm etc. So the managers knew who was on daily and it didn't change day to day, and not knowing what time someone would start working at.

The recent revenue staff survey has similar questions asked about different work patterns.

Shift patterns will change, and if it suits some - then so be it! Let them work the new patterns available. The day of having to work a to b will soon be gone unless in customer facing role (phone lines etc).

The flexibility even now is very good and will only get better.

caviardreams

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741245#Comment_120741245

Well if people have a pattern and stick to it that's one thing. But that removes flexibility in another way. I can honestly see some people wanting to flit from early morning one day to evening the next with no notice on a whim, and with a large team it would be impossible. As usually its a few "takers" who ruin it for everyone who expect flexibility all one way, and no give and take

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741205#Comment_120741205

I have to be honest and say that is not my experience.

I'm aware of a few local arrangements made over the years, but they are few and far between. Not somethng I've seen other's try to use to their own advantage.

Mr lebowski

I believe DFHERIS deal has been done for 2 days in the office and The DOE the offer stands at 5 days in the office over 2 weeks but the union have rejected this.They are sticking to their guns wanting 2 days a week which they are confident of getting sooner or later. Has anyone heard anything else over the developments this week?

rsl1976

Do the union generally get involved in the blended working policy?

TaurenDruid

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120755132#Comment_120755132

I mean... negotiating better terms and conditions for their members is literally their job description, so I'd hope so!

Though the absolute silence from both Fórsa and AHCPS lately on blended working, and the lack of knowledge people in October's survey had about if unions were involved in negotiating their employer's blended working policies, would both lead me to believe they haven't been as active as they should have been...

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120755132#Comment_120755132

Every department was supposed to have union "Lead Worker Representatives" involved in the drafting of the Blended Working policy with DPER.

I never found out who our LWRs were, and they remained invisible throughout the whole process.

jaffa20

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737472#Comment_120737472

Wouldn't that be nice? I'm not sure if any do as far as I'm aware. Revenue I've heard are the most flexible, but maybe that's for Dublin only...

caviardreams

Agree - Fórsa and AHCPS have been very silent, and this is where they should be vocal. They seem to go for low hanging fruit on a lot of things rather than the thorny issues that often have a bigger impact on members.

Lost a lot of faith in the union over this.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120737420#Comment_120737420

In person meetings aren't the only way to communicate.

Quite the limitation to be unable to work independently.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120741477#Comment_120741477

The irony being is the flexibility was given by staff during lockdown to keep places up and running working from their kitchen table. They gave up flexi time etc.

The reward for that is being vilified as being inflexible.

People will remember this going forward when asked to work late or early or come in on a different day. They just aren't going to facilitate that.

Flinty997

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120758107#Comment_120758107

Here I agree with you

They will struggle for support going forward

Missy95

I‘m in a section where blended isn’t available for new staff for the first 9 months and even then it depends on a performance development. Staff are leaving every few weeks. Very high turnover of staff.

Missy95

Ridiculous also that you can’t build up flexi time when working from home. That’s a big disadvantage. You’re working hard at home, not doing nothing.

rsl1976

I'm just surprised that the previous poster said the union were pushing back on the 50% over 2 weeks considering that's what it is in my department and other departments are doing more than that.

Daria321

This will be interesting going forward.

shmeee

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120757623#Comment_120757623

Revenue 1 day per week in office once approved by management, different departments vary. This is not just Dublin, many locations.

Hotblack Desiato

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120762153#Comment_120762153

When I work from home, I can build up flexi time.

When my wife works from home, she can't...

If this is a trial then it needs to have set goals and an end date. It's unjust to have T&Cs which differ so greatly across departments/offices.

What are Forsa doing? nothing as far as I can see.

Missy95

What department allows you to build flexi time from home?

jaffa20

Probably should start a new thread on this, but how to you all feel about the new annual leave circular where you can only carry over non statutory annual leave? It really does not benefit those with 22-23 days annual leave at all as you are only allowed to carry over 2-3 days each year. I preferred the 3 year rule.

The rules for annual leave when I was in the private sector were even more flexible than this!

https://www.gov.ie/en/circular/6f4d7-082023-annual-leave-in-the-civil-service/

dinabhfuil

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120771230#Comment_120771230

Thank you for sharing. Is this now in place?

wench

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120771400#Comment_120771400

It will come into effect for leave years starting in 2024