Civil servants told to spend more time in the office - Irish Times - Mod warning #526

Some people would have loved the opportunity to work from a cushy office with a safe pensionable job, with lengthy tea breaks, rather than emigrating.

Here you go, so: https://publicjobs.ie/en/ - we're always hiring!

You can't seriously expect a department to keep a specific office open just because a union says so

This is bollocks frankly

Before Covid we didn't have encrypted desktops. Anybody could have broken into an office, steal PCs and just access whatever happened to be saved or cached locally.

Now everything is encrypted whether inside or outside the office.

What you are saying is outdated nonsensical thinking which goes back not to pre-covid days but pre-internet days. "We have a silo of information in the office and better not let any of it in or out except on paper" well the world just doesn't look like that anymore. WFH is irrelevant to this. You are not going to get anywhere these days without web applications, Teams access etc. so whether you are working in the office or not, you have internet facing systems.

As I said, complete bollocks and it's perfectly obvious you have no clue what you are talking about.

Covid is done back to work end of.....

You mean go back fulltime to the office and get less work done? Nah I'll pass thanks.

They don't seem to be answering phones. Service is shocking these days.

OK I think stuff is going off topic a bit. At the end of the day WFH in the civil service is not for everyone and those people can go into an office 5 days a week if they like no stopping them. Yes there might be people taking the mick at home, but these people take the mick in the office it's up to their line manager to sort it out and explain that WFH can be resinded for them and they might have to go into the office more or all the time, just like flexi time can be taken from people and they have to do a more 9 to 5 day then. If WFH was taken from us all say in a month's time and we're told to come back into the office people in the Private sector would notice as well. As more cars on the road so longer journey times for people there, more buses packed, trains and darts so will effect all workers there. Also some government buildings closed I.e. Revenue have Mount St and Lansdowne office gone so where do you put all these extra people who are hot desking in say the o'connell st office? I work 2 days in an office with WFH do the same work at home and office, it gets done end of wether there or at home. We have an anchor day out of the 2 wks and we're all in then, most of us work same days in the office. But if you go in other day might be no one in and you do think to yourself what was the point of me being in today as if they contact me it will be on teams and I could of done that at home. Look WFH is great, it's not for everyone and that's fine as they can go in more then one day. Saves people time and money, if work isn't getting done from WFH that's for a line manager to manage and discuss with their staff. But I do think 2 days in the office is enough, more time in would effect people both civil servants and private sector workers at the end of the day with travel times, money in their pocket, renting etc. I do think if we're asked to go in more have a discussion with unions and management like adults just don't be stating your back from so and so. We're not 2 year old and it's not the 1950s. Things like WFH work and it's been shown it has and it works when in the office so just right balance is needed. Also people have to remember I say if staff were told to come back more, some people with a lot of experience and might have only a few years to retire might just leave and say no not for me being in more, so you would lose that as well which could also effect the public.

I've been trying to contact Revenue and the collector general's office all week.

Trying the following Dublin numbers, 7383663, 7383636 and 7383630.

Everytime , I eventually get a message, all our operators are busy, please call back later. Trying from 9.30 am some mornings. Lines close at 1pm.

Give it a try and see what i mean

Ultimately, I believe hybrid working is a much healthier lifestyle, both mentally, physically, and for a better work/life balance.

100%. That sums it up. Plus, I'm generally more efficient at home, with less distractions! Could lock the thread now, really! 😀

My attitude to going back to the office or commuting again.

I'm in ICT, where EO is the entry-level grade. They're like gold-dust too, not helped by the really long recruitment process. I currently have EO staff commuting for their 2-days in-office from half-way across the country (they can't afford Dublin rents) - I'm amazed they haven't left yet! I've absolutely no doubt if we removed WFH, they'd be gone in a flash.

Most SMEs in the ICT sphere are still either fully remote or reliant on blended working, but we never hear about them in the media, just the ones with Nazi CEOs or the ones who kow-tow to Nazis. Amazingly, many of those SMEs have teams 'following the sun' around the globe, and still manage to function perfectly well without all of them being in the same room… 🤔