Fórsa has responded to a recent adjudication hearing concerning the Department of Social Protection’s attempt last year to require an additional in-office day per week for staff. Civil Service unions will lodge their objection to the adjudication outcome at the Civil Service General Council (CSGC) next month.  

Fórsa said the hearing concluded without adequately addressing the practical realities now shaping work and commuting patterns, while hybrid working arrangements continued to help lower peak-hour demand as a fuel crisis takes hold.  

Fórsa deputy general secretary, and head of the civil service division, Éamonn Donnelly said that while the process examined the union’s position, insufficient data had been presented to justify the change, and that its outcome does not reflect the rapidly evolving external context in which such decisions must be made. He said: “In particular, the escalation in global fuel uncertainty and its impact on commuting costs and congestion have significantly strengthened the case for maintaining existing hybrid working arrangements.” 

“Evidence from recent years demonstrates that remote and blended working models can reduce peak-time traffic, ease pressure on transport infrastructure, and contribute to lower fuel demand. This is the approach supported by the International Energy Agency,” he said. 

This week’s disruption to travel, linked to protest activity in Dublin city centre, further illustrated the resilience that hybrid arrangements provide in maintaining service delivery under challenging conditions.  

Éamonn added: “This week alone would have presented significant challenges to continuous service provision if we were relying on all staff making their way into a city centre office.  

“The disruption this week made commuting journeys practically impossible. There is a ready-made solution to reducing peak-hour fuel demand right in front of us. We need to allow common-sense to prevail while global fuel uncertainty continues to be a major economic threat,” he said. 

In correspondence this week, Fórsa official Paul MacSweeney requested that the Department of Social Protection put on hold any moves to increase office attendance, in light of the growing fuel crisis.  

Paul told the Department that a recent Fórsa survey on blended working, with responses from approximately 20,000 members, showed that 78% of workers cited reduction in travel costs as a reason for seeking remote working. Paul added: “Our survey also noted that commuting times are increasing as more staff are mandated to return to the office.” 

Fórsa will continue to press for a pragmatic, evidence-based approach that aligns workplace policy with economic and environmental realities. 

Join a union that wins. Join Fórsa.