Fórsa has sought immediate discussions aimed at reaching agreement an agreed ‘blended work’ framework for the health and welfare sector. It comes after the union agreed a deal that gives all civil servants the right to apply for remote or blended working.

Civil servants will also be able to have the decision reviewed if they are turned down, with a view to resolving the issues that led to the refusal to facilitate remote work.

It was always envisaged that the civil service framework, which requires all departments and offices to develop a blended working policy, would provide a template for the roll-out of agreed blended work policies across health and other public service employments.

The new civil service framework says departmental policies must set out a decision-making process that ensures a consistent approach to assessing applications, and which ensures “fairness across the organisation.”

It places a responsibility on managers to ensure a “fair and effective” system with strong supports, staff development, communications, and effective performance management. And it says there can be no change to a worker’s pay and working conditions on the basis that they have blended working arrangements.

It also requires employers to conduct health and safety assessments, which it says should determine specific risks and outline any information or training needs. And it says employers should provide the necessary equipment to home workers.

It envisages three-six month ‘initial trials’ once an individual is approved for blended working, and says individual remote work arrangements should be regularly reviewed.

The framework insists that customer service, standards and performance “must never be compromised in order to facilitate remote working.” An individual’s performance standards, timekeeping and attendance will be among the criteria considered when deciding if blended working will be facilitated. If refused, an employee can seek a review of the process.

The framework is currently silent on the question of flexitime accrual for those with blended working arrangements. A civil service arbitration hearing took place on this issue last week.

Fórsa wants staff to retain the right to accrue flexitime built up while working at home. But DPER proposals on a pilot process were not acceptable to the union as they would have resulted in inconsistencies in the approach of different departments, at least for the duration of the pilot.

There is no change in flexitime accrual arrangements for staff attending workplaces.

The framework does not allow for civil service departments to pay allowances towards the additional costs associated with working from home.

Instead, the policy refers staff to the recently-enhanced tax reliefs available on energy, heating and wifi costs. Fórsa says it will continue to seek the payment of an allowance in future talks, but that it has not sought arbitration on the issue now as a referral would be certain to stall implementation of the broader framework.

Read the framework HERE.