Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

Since the initiation of the framework WFH has been expanded in some sections.

I think we need some questions on WFH while on probation and/or starting a new role. 👍

Also if depts have reduced desk spaces.

My Dept now has approx 50% less desk spaces than we did pre-pandemic, and all are hotdesks. If (big IF) we were all suddenly ordered to double our number of office days, desk spaces would be a major issue.

Understood - the lack of certainty is absolutely a pain. On the other hand, I have colleagues commuting two days/week from well outside Dublin (or just making the trip once and couch-surfing/staying with relatives on the one night), including those who have started since WFH came in, so if you could put up with that, it might still be an option.

As others have mentioned, private sector companies who have long-term leases on expensive city centre offices have other reasons for wanting a RTO. And another issue, as also mentioned, is actual office size - I know our own headcount, too, has increased and we couldn't fit all of our staff if they insisted on more days in the office. There's also sustainability policies. Makes no sense to make people commute for no reason, anyway, but that's a lot of extra people on public transport or driving, which makes no sense when public transport can barely cope and we want to reduce emissions.

I have made this point multiple times, across multiple threads on the subject, but it bears repeating every now and again.

WFH is given based on whether the role is suitable to be carried out from home, or not. Not on the officer carrying out the role. Which is why it does not form part of CS employment contracts.

Some roles of work require more in-office attendance than others, e.g. techical maintenance or public facing roles in offices like Intreo, Justice or Revenue. Most people would understand this before accepting those roles.

Even within Depts, sections can vary differently on WFH. I know sections within my own dept where the two day rule is not strictly adhered to, and some where it is. Different business needs, different managers.

It's also why a new application to WFH has to be made each time someone moves section within a dept, or gets promoted, or moves to another dept on mobility.

Some people still find this hard to get their head around. WFH is tied to the work, not the person doing it, and there will never be a "one-size-fits-all" policy for the whole CS.

Has your dept taken on lots of new staff recently?

Mine definitely has, and we are 100% hotdesks now. No one has a fixed desk (except Minister's Office and Sec Gen Office). Though certain days of the week are more popular than others for WFO (Tuesday and Wednesday.)

Actually, that would be another good question for the survey ( @TaurenDruid )

• What days are most popular with staff for WFO?
• Do you have a fixed desk?

I was in the CS post financial crisis. Pay cuts, leave cuts, additional hours etc.. everyone thought these were untouchable. Hospitality businesses who pay rates have been complaining that city/town centres are quieter and they are losing business. There are no certainties.

I’m a grade 1 so only PO would be worth my while and not sure if there is too many purely financey ones of those. I’ve heard this about revenue could defo be an option alright. I don’t think it’s irrational to suggest a lot of departments will start to add a day or two in the office for the week. I mean it’s already started.

sorry wrong quote

So you're in the private sector, and not civil service now.

OK then.

But it hasn't already started. Unless you're using the example of Departments going from full time working from home during Covid to the current situation. As I said, one Department is four days a week. That's all. Every other Department is either three or two and I know some Departments who were three days in the office went to two, and I'm sure the vice-a-versa has happened but to suggest all Departments have shifted to more days in the office is incorrect.

And to suggest I suggested that is equally incorrect. It looks to me like you’ll never have a decent level of certainty over it in the CS. I did say anecdotally I had only heard of areas decreasing wfh, not increasing. A survey will make that easier to see.

We don't know what Department is allegedly now four days a week, and / or if that applies to all staff across the board or just within certain areas of it.

I myself mentioned earlier, that Intreo offices (part of DSP) have limited WFH available by roster for public facing staff, but it does not apply across the board to everyone else in the whole department.

Hopefully we will find out. I'm going to ask around my colleagues to see if they've heard anything about it.

But I can tell you, there is no push to increase WFO in my department. Quite the opposite. WFH is highly encouraged and every support for it is given.

yes that’s the point, if wfh becomes unusual the civil service won’t be on its own letting people wfh 3 and 4 days a week. It’s not to radical of a statement I’d have thought , but seems to be met with some severe incredulity on here. I guess we weren’t all at the meetings. To suggest we don’t care what the private sector does is bonkers.