Remote working public servants not entitled to take flexi time.

gerbilgranny

I always worked up a flexi day - which gave me 13 extra days' leave in a year. I work a 60% pattern, so 13 extra days is a big bonus.

What's irked me is that I've been working 9.5 - 11.00 hour days most weeks, since we started remote working last March, because well, the work is there, and I want to get through as much as I can. But when my broadband went for 1.5 days in the past week, it meant that I had to make up the hours on the days I should have been off, in order to meet the target hours. All those extra hours worked can't be carried over (fair enough) or even considered, when I ran into technical difficulties.

I had said I'd prefer to be office-based, but it's not an option, unfortunately.

99nsr125

horsebox7 wrote: »

Flexi time and flexi leave has always been a very important resource for staff who have to look after small children and a part of a sustainable work life balance for all staff. Remote working staff work the same amount and have the same output as office based staff yet remote working staff have no flexi leave. This has created a two tier system between work colleagues who do the same amount of work but from different physical locations. It's not the staff members fault that they have to work remotely for medical and health reasons is it?

You are in effect on 8 hours flexi time constantly when working from home.

Stop moaning about a perceived entitlement you're missing

Office based staff need flexi because they are office based.

Stop moaning

99nsr125

horsebox7 wrote: »

This is an unfair comment.

Eh no it's not

Did you miss the part where 150,000 people lost their jobs on Wednesday

Stop being a moan bag

SouthWesterly

gerbilgranny wrote: »

I always worked up a flexi day - which gave me 13 extra days' leave in a year. I work a 60% pattern, so 13 extra days is a big bonus.

What's irked me is that I've been working 9.5 - 11.00 hour days most weeks, since we started remote working last March, because well, the work is there, and I want to get through as much as I can. But when my broadband went for 1.5 days in the past week, it meant that I had to make up the hours on the days I should have been off, in order to meet the target hours. All those extra hours worked can't be carried over (fair enough) or even considered, when I ran into technical difficulties.

I had said I'd prefer to be office-based, but it's not an option, unfortunately.

Work your hours. I learnt that in the private sector. I'm in the Cs now and working at home. I do my hours. No more.

beauf

gmisk wrote: »

The OP can ask to work in the office if they want flexi time. So it is still an option.
....

For many it's not an option. The office is closed except for those who have to be there. There also Maybe other issues that make working in the office under Covid less than ideal.

That said managers should be know the difference between someone who is doing their best in a difficult situation and being productive those who are using the situation and being unproductive.

Chaos Black

beauf wrote: »

That said managers should be know the difference between someone who is doing their best in a difficult situation and being productive those who are using the situation and being unproductive.

Same people generally speaking pre-covid that weren't exemplary workers and are known..likely to fall into the latter category in the current situation.

To give a positive side of CS, I know co-workers who have forgone bereavement leave, work extra hours, out of normal hours including weekends and more besides without expectation of anything in return. Most people outside of the CS likely don't know what civil servants do day to day unlike other public services.

Divisadero

The OP is still arguing his/her case. That of course is allowed on a forum. I'm just wondering though can anything be done to put this horse back in its box. Then again horses do like to whinny which I suppose is similar to whining.

noodler

noodler wrote: »

If true they should talk to their long manager to see if they can manage their load better or come to a local agreement on Flexi.

Or just work the target hours

Timistry

pew wrote: »

Pay restoration not a pay rise.

No such thing

AndrewJRenko

gmisk wrote: »

The OP can ask to work in the office if they want flexi time. So it is still an option.
.

Generally this is not the case. Most offices are closed except for essential activities that cannot be done from home.

So staff are forced into providing office space to their employer free of charge along with furniture and heating.

gazzer

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Generally this is not the case. Most offices are closed except for essential activities that cannot be done from home.

So staff are forced into providing office space to their employer free of charge along with furniture and heating.

This is true. I had to buy my own laptop and printer. Though I ended up buying a second had one so wasn't too expensive

My electricity bill has shot up but I switched energy providers to offset that

Overall I am not spending extra money and my commute has shot down from over 2 hours a day to 5 minutes 😊

The staff in my Dept will be working from home until at least Jan. You are allowed go into the office if you have to do large printing jobs or go through volumous FOI requests but that is only for a half day max.

Overall it is working well and I would hope that when staff are allowed back into the Dept that WFH will considered a viable option for 2/3 days a week.

I don't mind forgoing flexi to be honest.

TheJet

I’m a public servant and have worked on site all through Covid. Flexi was due to be restored to us at the end of August but hasn’t happened yet. I wouldn’t always have worked up a flexi day every flexi period but I really miss it. Since Covid my work load has increased. Some of my colleagues working in other offices were “remoting” and we were left picking up excess work that wasn’t done as a result. My manager never permitted working up a day and a half. You could, but you’d loose 3:42. I think she hated us working up flexi anyway.

horsebox7

https://www.lawsociety.ie/News/News/Stories/guide-to-remote-and-flexible-working/

Tork

Talk to your union rep if this is bothering you so much. As you can see, you have few supporters on this thread. Many of those disagreeing with you are civil servants too. Your entitled attitude is pissing people off and rightly so. You're working from home on full pay while thousands have lost their jobs and may never get them back. You have no idea how good you have it.

If I was you, I'd be more worried about who is going to pay for Covid when this is all over. After the crash of 2008, the government went after civil servants and cut their pay. If you think you'll still be sitting on your arse in 12 months time with the same take home pay you have today, you've got a shock coming your way.

Nigel Fairservice

I go into the office one day a week to do the few bits I can't do from home. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that I'm not getting flexi at the moment. Right now there's nothing to do with the annual leave I already have without adding to it with flexi. I'm sure normal flexi arrangements will apply when it's safe for everyone to return to offices. My colleagues that work from the office have had flexi restored and I don't begrudge them.

My office is in a building shared with the local DEASP office. I walk past people queueing up outside the office when I go into my office. If you ever need reminding about how grateful you should be to have a job right now there it is. Have a little perspective.

horsebox7

Tork wrote: »

Talk to your union rep if this is bothering you so much. As you can see, you have few supporters on this thread. Many of those disagreeing with you are civil servants too. Your entitled attitude is pissing people off and rightly so. You're working from home on full pay while thousands have lost their jobs and may never get them back. You have no idea how good you have it.

If I was you, I'd be more worried about who is going to pay for Covid when this is all over. After the crash of 2008, the government went after civil servants and cut their pay. If you think you'll still be sitting on your arse in 12 months time with the same take home pay you have today, you've got a shock coming your way.

Invalid.

horsebox7

Nigel Fairservice wrote: »

I go into the office one day a week to do the few bits I can't do from home. It doesn't bother me in the slightest that I'm not getting flexi at the moment. Right now there's nothing to do with the annual leave I already have without adding to it with flexi. I'm sure normal flexi arrangements will apply when it's safe for everyone to return to offices. My colleagues that work from the office have had flexi restored and I don't begrudge them.

My office is in a building shared with the local DEASP office. I walk past people queueing up outside the office when I go into my office. If you ever need reminding about how grateful you should be to have a job right now there it is. Have a little perspective.

I don't begrudge these colleagues either but I believe all employees should be allowed to work under the same conditions. If you read the document from the law society you can see that they recommend that employees be allowed to accrue time for flexi leave for additional hours worked.

Covidhaveago

kathleen37 wrote: »

What is the plan for people to take leave? What happens if everyone wants to take leave at the same time? Are people being allowed to carry leave over, which then leads to the question, how is leave managed next year?

I'd strongly suggest getting something in place here. I'd also agree with the taking of leave being a H&S issue.

Don't worry Kathleen there is something in place

Tork

horsebox7 wrote: »

Invalid.

Please clarify: What are your core working hours now?

horsebox7

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2020/0514/1138340-linked-in-remote-working-survey/

Remote workers working 38 hours more per month.

Tork

Tork wrote: »

Please clarify: What are your core working hours now?

Isn't the point of the suspension of flexitime that there are no core hours now?

noodler

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Isn't the point of the suspension of flexitime that there are no core hours now?

The very point the poster you quoted is making (repeatedly in fairness).

Bit OP is ignoring it.

Tork

Deleted User wrote: »

Isn't the point of the suspension of flexitime that there are no core hours now?

I know somebody who still has core hours but they're much longer than what they'd have if they were in the office. Flexi leave is gone but there is now great freedom to pick and choose their hours.

Why is horsebox not answering the question?

horsebox7

Some remote working staff are working far in excess of core hours and are unfortunately not being credited for this time in terms of time off at a later date through flexi leave. Core hours are 8-6. Have you read the results of the survey posted where remote working staff work 38 hours extra a month?

Tork

Take it up with your union,

horsebox7

Tork wrote: »

Take it up with your union,

Thanks for your advice. As above.

Tork

I'm not being smart. What do you think anybody on boards can do for you if you feel hard done by? That is what you are paying your union sub for.

horsebox7

Tork wrote: »

I'm not being smart. What do you think anybody on boards can do for you if you feel hard done by? That is what you are paying your union sub for.

Just raising awareness if that's ok with you?

Jim Root

horsebox7 wrote: »

Just raising awareness if that's ok with you?

Raise awareness? Lol. Be happy with your 2% recent increase and job security while the rest of the nation grapples paycuts, job losses and 70 hour weeks in order to keep the lights on. Christ almighty,

horsebox7

horsebox7 wrote: »

Some remote working staff are working far in excess of core hours and are unfortunately not being credited for this time in terms of time off at a later date through flexi leave. Core hours are 8-6. Have you read the results of the survey posted where remote working staff work 38 hours extra a month?

Core hours are 10am-12:30pm and 2:30pm to 4:00pm

Flexible working bands are 8am to 7pm.

The standard working day (or normal attendance period) is 9:00am to 5:45pm on Monday to Thursday and 9.00am to 5.15pm on Friday with 1 hour and 15 minutes for lunch break each day.

Asking for the third time, have you been asked to work the standard working day?