Remote working public servants not entitled to take flexi time.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 6:50pm #1

Due to unprecedented cv19 arrangements public servants including those working in the local authority sector are not entitled to take flexi leave while those who are office based are entitled to take flexi leave which is unfair.

Divisadero · 21-10-2020 7:00pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

Due to unprecedented cv19 arrangements public servants including those working in the local authority sector are not entitled to take flexi leave while those who are office based are entitled to take flexi leave which is unfair.

Hardly the end of the world. That's just my view as a Civil Servant. I'd take working at home with
no flexitime. I realise we are all different in this regard.

It may seem unfair to you but whilst we are in the midst of a pandemic it is a minor sacrifice. Especially compared to what many others in both other areas of the public and the private sectors are faced with.

Addle · 21-10-2020 7:02pm

You don’t have to commute, don’t have to take time off for home related absences. You can’t have it every way.

pew · 21-10-2020 7:06pm

My flexi stopped in March when it kicked off.

I have no problem with this. While I'm half in the office half out it doesnt bother me in the slightest that I dont have any flexi.

I dont have to commute as much which is far better for me, less time on public transport.

But everyone is different.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:11pm

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?

FourFourRED · 21-10-2020 7:14pm

Scratching themselves watching box sets. Get a grip.

Sultan of Bling · 21-10-2020 7:16pm

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?

Well go work somewhere else if you feel so hard done by.

John Hutton · 21-10-2020 7:16pm

Addle wrote: »

You don’t have to commute, don’t have to take time off for home related absences. You can’t have it every way.

A lot of civil servants work longer than their typical hours, especially in times like this. There is no overtime. Previously "staying late" to get stuff done was "compensated" by being "credited" for those extra hours so you could take a half day or whatever.

Now you get nothing for working these extra hours(which for many are way more than normal), which many are with no complaint because of the crisis the country is in. Six plus months in with no end in sight the patience of some is wearing thin, which is understandable. This is compounded by some very bad managers who treat wfh like it is giving staff some grand treat and means they are at beck and call at all hours.

In most places this has been addressed to some degree by good managers and some fair local arrangements.

The situation the OP describes is not fair. WFH is not a reward, it is a safety precaution. If everyone WFH turned around tomorrow and said I am not doing it and will work from the office, the office would have to shut. WFH should not be penalised.

Again, this is easily solved by line managers having some cop on. I can understand the reluctance to allow all WFH flexi, because there will be that one guy who will "work" 12 hours a day.

Talk to your manager OP and document the extra time you work and list what you are doing to show its legit.

Divisadero · 21-10-2020 7:16pm

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?

Work life balance?? All for it normally. But at the moment you're lucky to even have a steady job. I shall leave it at that.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:17pm

FourFourFM wrote: »

Scratching themselves watching box sets. Get a grip.

Rubbish.

have2flushtwice · 21-10-2020 7:18pm

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?

Try working in the private sector, you wouldnt last a week with that attitilide!
Be glad you have a job and get on with it.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:18pm

Divisadero wrote: »

Work life balance?? All for it normally. But at the moment you're lucky to even have a steady job. I shall leave it at that.

This is an unfair comment.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:19pm

have2flushtwice wrote: »

Try working in the private sector, you wouldnt last a week with that attitilide!
Be glad you have a job and get on with it.

This is an unfair comment.

supersaint3 · 21-10-2020 7:19pm

Not the hill to die on in these circumstances...

John Hutton · 21-10-2020 7:20pm

GarIT wrote: »

The staff that aren't in the office don't have set hours anymore so their time is more flexible than any other flexitime. You have to work 37 hours a week, when you do it is up to you.

This is the theory, but very much depends on the office, manager and the nature of the work, IME.

StevenToast · 21-10-2020 7:22pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

Due to unprecedented cv19 arrangements public servants including those working in the local authority sector are not entitled to take flexi leave while those who are office based are entitled to take flexi leave which is unfair.

You will find ZERO sympathy from anyone in the private sector...

In fact, im a little bit sickened by your sense of entitlement...

Have you any idea how lucky you are at the moment to have that job?

Divisadero · 21-10-2020 7:25pm

supersaint3 wrote: »

Not the hill to die on in these circumstances...

Exactly. Just gives fuel to the pampered Civil Servant nonsense and Daily Mail readers etc. Not that they are interested in facts! We already have the moronic box sets comments coming in. Yawn.

Sorry OP if I was harsh. But in the big picture of what's going on at the moment I see it as a minor issue. Save your energy for the bigger battles that might be coming.

John Hutton · 21-10-2020 7:26pm

StevenToast wrote: »

You will find ZERO sympathy from anyone in the private sector...

In fact, im a little bit sickened by your sense of entitlement...

Have you any idea how lucky you are at the moment to have that job?

I left the private sector a few years ago and took a 15k pay cut to do so. I now earn a little more than I did then, but if I did a comparable job in the private sector to what I do now I would earn at least 20k a year more minimum.

The "benefits" of the public sector are not free. The public sector hired loads of people over the past few years, if its all that great why didn't you apply?

StevenToast · 21-10-2020 7:27pm

John Hutton wrote: »

I left the private sector a few years ago and took a 15k pay cut to do so. I now earn a little more than I did then, but if I did a comparable job in the private sector to what I do now I would earn at least 20k a year more minimum.

The "benefits" of the public sector are not free. The public sector hired loads of people over the past few years, if its all that great why didn't you apply?

I have...believe me....I am working on it...

yosser hughes · 21-10-2020 7:29pm

John Hutton wrote: »

I left the private sector a few years ago and took a 15k pay cut to do so. I now earn a little more than I did then, but if I did a comparable job in the private sector to what I do now I would earn at least 20k a year more minimum.

The "benefits" of the public sector are not free. The public sector hired loads of people over the past few years, if its all that great why didn't you apply?

So why did you leave the private sector?

Mrs OBumble · 21-10-2020 7:32pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

This is an unfair comment.

No it isn't. Not. Even. Slightly.

John Hutton · 21-10-2020 7:33pm

yosser hughes wrote: »

So why did you leave the private sector?

To do work that actually matters, and has a point to it that doesn't revolve around enriching shareholders. (I worked in financial services)

Pkiernan · 21-10-2020 7:33pm

GarIT wrote: »

We don't need to be a race to the bottom. The public sector should be setting the standard for work life balance rather than cutting corners for a profit at the expense of people.

The public sector should be about providing good quality service for all taxpayers (private and public).

thenightman · 21-10-2020 7:34pm

Hows it unfair? I've worked throughout Covid on site in work dealing with the public and other frontline services, putting my health and my families health at risk + have been commuting each day and will be tomorrow onwards too. I didn't choose to be sent to my section and don't see my work as a vocation nor did I sign up to be part of an emergency service, but thems the breaks and I'm being paid to do what I'm told and provide a service. We had to fight to get our flexi back in August as some floors in our building were doing 4 days in office/1 at home & we're all on same clocking system, which was a bit awkward for HR to navigate a solution to apparently (my heart bleeds)

I would be quite annoyed to find out that someone in our head office (which has been a ghost town since March) was sitting on the couch answering the odd email and banking flexi for it. Is working from the safety/comfort of home not enough for ye? I'd happily trade places with someone who wants my flexi!

eviltwin · 21-10-2020 7:40pm

John Hutton wrote: »

To do work that actually matters, and has a point to it that doesn't revolve around enriching shareholders. (I worked in financial services)

All work matters

893bet · 21-10-2020 7:41pm

Hahahahahaha ye should strike.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:42pm

John Hutton wrote: »

A lot of civil servants work longer than their typical hours, especially in times like this. There is no overtime. Previously "staying late" to get stuff done was "compensated" by being "credited" for those extra hours so you could take a half day or whatever.

Now you get nothing for working these extra hours(which for many are way more than normal), which many are with no complaint because of the crisis the country is in. Six plus months in with no end in sight the patience of some is wearing thin, which is understandable. This is compounded by some very bad managers who treat wfh like it is giving staff some grand treat and means they are at beck and call at all hours.

In most places this has been addressed to some degree by good managers and some fair local arrangements.

The situation the OP describes is not fair. WFH is not a reward, it is a safety precaution. If everyone WFH turned around tomorrow and said I am not doing it and will work from the office, the office would have to shut. WFH should not be penalised.

Again, this is easily solved by line managers having some cop on. I can understand the reluctance to allow all WFH flexi, because there will be that one guy who will "work" 12 hours a day.

Talk to your manager OP and document the extra time you work and list what you are doing to show its legit.

Thanks for your contribution. At least there is some sense and understanding here. Unfortunately local management are not accomodating.

De Danann · 21-10-2020 7:44pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

Due to unprecedented cv19 arrangements public servants including those working in the local authority sector are not entitled to take flexi leave while those who are office based are entitled to take flexi leave which is unfair.

Flexi has been completely suspended in my department for everyone, working remotely or working full time in the office, nobody gets it.

I personally don't think it's fair those in the office full time DON'T get flexi when they have to commute in and risk themselves every day. I work partially from home and think I'm in an advantaged position compared to those full time in the office.

Unfortunately sacrifices have to be made right now to the usual perks for working in the CS.

John Hutton · 21-10-2020 7:44pm

horsebox7 wrote: »

Thanks for your contribution. At least there is some sense and understanding here. Unfortunately local management are not accomodating.

Well if you have no luck there I would just say to put up with it for the time being, not much you can do and it is not worth the battle to be honest.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:47pm

thenightman wrote: »

Hows it unfair? I've worked throughout Covid on site in work dealing with the public and other frontline services, putting my health and my families health at risk + have been commuting each day and will be tomorrow onwards too. I didn't choose to be sent to my section and don't see my work as a vocation nor did I sign up to be part of an emergency service, but thems the breaks and I'm being paid to do what I'm told and provide a service. We had to fight to get our flexi back in August as some floors in our building were doing 4 days in office/1 at home & we're all on same clocking system, which was a bit awkward for HR to navigate a solution to apparently (my heart bleeds)

I would be quite annoyed to find out that someone in our head office (which has been a ghost town since March) was sitting on the couch answering the odd email and banking flexi for it. Is working from the safety/comfort of home not enough for ye? I'd happily trade places with someone who wants my flexi!

Should working from home be penalised? Don't think so.

horsebox7 · 21-10-2020 7:48pm

John Hutton wrote: »

Well if you have no luck there I would just say to put up with it for the time being, not much you can do and it is not worth the battle to be honest.

Fair play. All the same it's worth highlighting that staff who work remotely are being penalised.

Remote working public servants not entitled to take flexi time.

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