Civil Service - Post Lockdown - Blended Working?

Thank you @Ezeoul

(As a relatively high earning public servant (who's paid a lot of tax! both while working in the private and public sector), I can say that the Public services is probably more efficient and harder-working than the private sector in my view.

There is lest wastage of both resources and time and people on the whole, seem to be there so they can help their fellow citizens.)

As regards remote / wfh / hybrid, it's the future for certain - in 20 years, I can't see offices even having half the floor space they have now in Dublin and elsewhere - commuting long distances to do the same work you can do at home or closer to home just doesn't make sense.

Our time is the most precious resource of all, why waste it on a DART or in traffic?

It all depends on your department/section/line manager.

Reminder to all who work from home, don't forget to submit your claim for a tax rebate.

Submitted mine to Revenue on Jan 29th, Statement of Liability issued 30th, and refund (approx €200) just went into my bank account at midnight, in time for the weekend. 🤑

Electricity bills, heating (gas or oil) and then your broadband bills for the year. You also need to add up how many days you worked from home in that year. I did mine recently for the last 2 years and only got €130 back for the 2 years, but I only work hybrid and don't have big utility bills....better in my pocket all the same!!

Do you need to provide proof of how many days WFH you did - like a copy of your WFH application or anything?

In my case, it's easy (especially as my spouse does the tax refund application!) - I work two days/week from home. Subtract number of weeks leave from 52, multiply by 2, that's my days WFH. (I work 2 days in the office even if there's a public holiday.) All of our bills are online and can be screenshotted. It's not big money at all, Revenue don't really care about the small stuff, and in 99.99% of cases won't look for bills or receipts - we've been submitting a Med 1 for medical expenses for the last 20 years and never been asked for receipts.

I only work half days., WFH 4 days a week. Does this only equate to 2 days a week ?

I am a Civil Servant, living on the outskirts of Trim & working in a large City Centre office. My nearest bus/train link to Dublin is a 25 minute drive. Monday, Wednesday & Thursday working from home. Last Tuesday, I left home at 06.45. I arrived in my office at 10.08. Snarl-ups on M50 caused chaos on all entry routes to City Centre. I arrived into my office, hungry, dying for a pee & totally stressed out. I needed coffee. I spent my first half hour in the canteen, moaning to whoever woukd listen to me, about my commute. Switched on my computer abour 10.50 & got started on my day. Then I met colleagues for lunch- that took about an hour - and back to work till 18.30, when it too me another hour & 45 minutes to get home, exhausted; drained and deflated 

Compare with Wednesday. Set alarm clock for 08.50. Logged in and working from home at 09.00. No distractions. No canteen breaks. No long gossipy lunches, no hideous traffic either coming from or going to work. Worked solidly till 13.00, half hour lunch (when I attended to some domestic chores) & knocked off at 17.30. 

it goes without saying that ALL of my work is doable remotely. Why in the name of all that’s holy can’t my line managers see they are getting SO much more bang for their buck by allowing me to work from home? 

For the record - Dublin traffic on Fridays is manageable. I quite like going into the office on Fridays.

Maybe you are not actively and transparently communicating and demonstrating your outputs and outcomes, so your manager doesn't know what "bang for their buck" they are getting?

Many employees get ultra defensive about this and launch into "do you not trust me?" emotional manipulation if lightly asked to update on outputs by their manager. It is very clear some employees (not all) don't get that freedom and autonomy comes with responsibility, or else don't understand what responsibility truly means.

I think the situation the poster described was not his norm, due to the traffic problems he mentioned, and not something that occurs every time he commutes to Dublin.

But it can happen, and it can't be predicted. I remember once commuting from my home to my (then) workplace, a mere 18km, but there was some major accident en-route which snarled up the whole city. It took me 3 hours to get to work, by which time I was pretty much useless for the rest of the day as I was worn out before I even got there.

So while I think he probably should have used the bathroom, grabbed a coffee and taken it straight to his desk, I can empathise with the frustration he felt at the journey. Also, most competent managers would recognise an abherration like this.

Exactly. For everyone who is conscientious and internally motivated, lots aren't, who ruin it for others, as there is no opportunity for performance management in the CS (you just get all sorts of accusations of bullying, the person goes on sick leave, or makes life hell for everyone else)

Remote working can work great when there is a consequence of poor performance - when there isn't, its tricky

It's just as easy to be busy doing nothing in the office, and that's before we get into lengthy chats at someone's desk, half hour tea breaks, endless watercooler and consequent toilet visits...

Our place is introducing anchor days, a great way to ensure I get a half day's work done with the interruptions and noise.

A tea-break is 10 minutes. Enough time to go to the loo, and grab a quick cup of tea.

30 minutes is a lunch break.