Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

Shuffl_in · 29-08-2022 01:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

You're definitely in the minority but I'm sure there are others.

Have you asked about attending the office for more days than you currently are?

TaurenDruid · 29-08-2022 01:30PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119532121#Comment_119532121

Start date.
End date.
Blended working location.
Percentage.
Remote days.

It is incredibly poorly worded, but hey, PeoplePoint (sorry - NSSO). But long? Tedious? 😂

Dodge · 29-08-2022 02:29PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

From what I can see, there’s no obligation in most places now to work from home so you should be fine going forward. I’m not being dismissive here either when I say you should seek help with your mental health. Best of luck

C4000 · 29-08-2022 02:47PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

I'd be the same. Spent a year and a half working from home and it wasn't for me. Spending an extra 45 hours a week in the house had no appeal at all. Back in the office full time for the last year....much prefer the routine and the separation of work and home.

KnicksInSix · 29-08-2022 03:43PM

Are many places still without a policy? No sign of ours despite weekly emails to HR. Currently 1 mandatory office day.

forrest gump · 29-08-2022 03:49PM

It is not the NSSO application form. But hey you keep on making assumptions. It is a local form within the department.

29-08-2022 08:56PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

By now, every department should have their policies published and be asking their staff to make official applications to WFH via NSSO. If you don't want to WFH, don't apply!

Part of the Blended Working Framework published by DPER does allow for NOT working from home, though everyone is encouraged to do at least one day. However if it doesn't suit you, your dept should be able to facilitate you WFO full time.

AndrewJRenko · 29-08-2022 09:08PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119538057#Comment_119538057

Me too.

LegallyAbroad · 30-08-2022 08:55AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

Im the same. Absolutely hate it.

Back in office full time now a few months and it is a genuine relief.

hardybuck · 30-08-2022 10:09AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119539558#Comment_119539558

Some of the key Departments haven't published/agreed their policies yet.

As an aside, I've also heard of some organisations asking staff to jump through a fair few hoops to ensure the right facilities are in place at home to ensure the work station is safe etc., but at the same time offering nothing in terms of provision of necessary equipment etc. All heavily weighted in the employer's favour.

TaurenDruid · 30-08-2022 10:24AM

There appears to be a spectrum, ranging from "Let's crush this. Make it impossible, or just rule it out entirely as an option," through to "We know productivity went up during lockdown - let's embrace this!" and everything in between. Most departments seem to have a fairly reasonable balance available - 2 or 3 days in office seems to be the average for those who want it - and are reasonably accommodating with setups.

Employees also seem to be on a spectrum ranging from "Let's exploit this for all it's worth - I'd like to WFH fulltime, please, and I'll need two monitors and a new desk and oh, you'll have to pay for my broadband, too!" through to... well, just getting on with the work, without having to commute.

It'll be interesting to see what happens with increased energy costs kicking in, effecting both the commute for those who have to drive, and the cost of heating a house during the day for those WFH for a lot of the week - maybe the whole week if a couple have different WFH days.

hardybuck · 30-08-2022 10:50AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541499#Comment_119541499

A lot of sense in this post, balance is key.

For me the writing is on the wall when a Department starts engaging with staff regarding ergonomic risk assessments for the first time about 18 months into the pandemic when they wanted people to start coming back to the office, especially when they don't do those assessments for the Departmental work spaces (at least not at an individual level anyway).

Departments could also use more supportive language to set out that they'll work will staff to ensure that they'll work with people to try and ensure that people have the right tools to be productive and safe wherever they're working, and to ensure business needs are met and achieved. But instead you're getting asked to fill in some form and apply for something you've had for the guts of three years.

I find the whole thing fairly deflating. I think people are starting to gravitate towards the organisations, and the managers within organisations, who are a bit more progressive.

30-08-2022 10:51AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541393#Comment_119541393

I know, its poor form really. Ours was published in July.

Doing a home ergonomics assessment is part of the conditions laid down by DPER - I've done mine already and it was honestly okay, mostly focused on height of laptop screen, chair and lighting conditions. It took about 20 minutes and was done Zoom with an external company.

My dept sent around a questionnaire on home workstations at least six months ago, and offered to supply anything the employee needed, if they didn't already have suitable equipment of their own. They also put up online training videos in how to set up an ergonomic workstation. I got a new chair on foot of the questionaire, as they did not think mine was suitable. Delivered to my door, fully assembled. I already had an office laptop, and everything else was okay.

hardybuck · 30-08-2022 10:56AM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541646#Comment_119541646

Yeah we had none of that support for equipment. A few months into the pandemic people were invited to call into work to collect the chair or screen they were using and bring it home, which was about the height of it.

30-08-2022 12:01PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541667#Comment_119541667

This is one of the great disparities between departments that I really don't understand.

skidmarkoner · 30-08-2022 12:27PM

Did they mention anything about standing desks I refuse to sit even when in the office. I have my setup very ergonomic for my role so hopefully it's not an issue

TaurenDruid · 30-08-2022 01:43PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541646#Comment_119541646

Ironically, my home setup is much better, ergonomically, than my office setup. At home, I two decent widescreen monitors perpendicular to the window, a "gaming" chair (sooo comfortable!), upright mouse, webcam with privacy cover, headset with mic (all my own). In work, I've two smaller monitors with a window behind me (so sun streaming in all morning/early afternoon), ordinary mouse, webcam with no privacy cover, wired earphones with no mic, and a basic seat that's grand, like, but nowhere near as good for my back as my own one. Last job still had square monitors, like it was still the early noughties!

AndrewJRenko · 30-08-2022 02:37PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119541667#Comment_119541667

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542017#Comment_119542017

We didn't even get that offer to call into work to take stuff home, though a few people did it anyway.

30-08-2022 03:11PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119542178#Comment_119542178

Not at my assessment, as I have a regular height desk, but I don't think it would be an issue - we have some standing desks in our offices.

skidmarkoner · 30-08-2022 06:02PM

Fingers crossed

gerbilgranny · 30-08-2022 07:28PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537345#Comment_119537345

I hated WFH. So much so that when I hit 60, I retired. I wasn't that enamored with my job anyway, but would probably have plodded on until at least 65 if we hadn't switched to WFH. I had the option to retire at 60, and even if I stayed on for years, would never have a 'gold-plated' pension that some of my other public service colleagues would have.

And here's the worst thing - now a year after I retired, my colleagues are all still WFH. We worked partly in a call-centre setting, answering queries. But truth is, many of us didn't know the answers to the queries, and being able to lean on the experience and generosity of colleagues in an office setting was invaluable. My manager was difficult to tie-down in the office, but once we changed to WFH, it was almost impossible to get any guidance from him.

I have never regretted retiring, even though I have a very modest income now. But I do sometimes miss the routine of getting up, commuting, leaving the building at the end of a working day (alleluia!) and travelling home in a state of exhaustion. I liked meeting and mixing with all sorts of different people too. There had been a time when I had a role in the same department that enabled me to be really good at my job - I knew what to do, and how to do it - and those years were very happy indeed.

I can really understand how WFH could impact your mental health. I hope your situation improves soon.

JoeSexton · 31-08-2022 03:55PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119537597#Comment_119537597

Not every department is using Peoplepoint/NSSO for blended working applications. Some have their own format.

BrianD3 · 02-09-2022 07:48AM

I'm hearing from people working in a few local authorities and parts of other public bodies that it's as if the great Covid WFH experiment never happened. Staff who had worked from home successfully and could have continued doing so have "returned to work". Nothing to see here, back to normality, back to printing emails for the file. Fuel prices and CO2 emissions from long commutes, shur who cares. Local jobs should be for local people. Buildings full of people typing away - looking good.

Hotblack Desiato · 02-09-2022 01:01PM

Pathetic. A generation of senior managers stuck in the past. Really it's they who should be asked to justify a return to traditional work practices, not the other way around. But that's local authorities for you tbh.

hardybuck · 02-09-2022 02:19PM

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119559787#Comment_119559787

Probably a cohort or generation of staff who are conditioned to accept that sort of approach also.

rostalof · 07-09-2022 11:03AM

So, September is here and the blended working pilots have begun at this stage or will begin next week for most departments and offices I think. The cabinet is meeting today to discuss energy and fuel saving measures to be adopted in all publicly owned buildings. What are the chances they'll consider not needlessly forcing staff back to long daily commutes, burning large volumes of expensive and polluting petrol and diesel, when it has been proven over the last two and a half years that a lot of this work can be carried out efficiently and to a high standard at home. Personally, I have no complaints about the levels of attendance expected in my unit, but from some of the comments in this thread, it's obvious that a lot of offices and departments are forcing people back for no good reason. But I suspect the answer to my question is, slim to none.

sasco · 07-09-2022 11:15AM

Our WFH policy is still in draft. It has been in draft all year. Hopefully it will be finalised soon to allow people to apply and agreed before year end. All new job specs state we are now a blended working organisation, but I'm not sure what new contracts have in place in relation to this as the policy is not finalised.