All civil servants will have the right to apply for remote or blended working under a new framework agreed between Fórsa and the Department of Public Expenditure and reform (DPER). Workers 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’s envisaged that the framework, which requires all civil service departments and offices to develop a blended working policy, will provide a template for the roll-out of agreed blended work policies across the entire civil and public service.

On Fórsa’s insistence, the 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.”

The new policy places a responsibility on managers to ensure a “fair and effective” system with strong supports, staff development, communications, and effective performance management. And 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 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. An 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 union decided not to seek arbitration on the issue of a home-working allowance as the potential cost implications mean such an arbitration referral was certain to stall implementation of the framework for some time.

DPER is adamant that it won’t agree to pay an allowance for remote working. 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.

The head of the union’s Civil Service Division, Derek Mullen, led the union side in the negotiations that led to the agreed framework.

“We have achieved a framework that meets virtually all the union’s priorities in developing a fair and transparent approach to remote working within the timeframe set down for these talks. It means we can now quickly roll out blended working arrangements in the civil service and, indeed, the wider public service.

“The experience of remote working during the Covid-19 emergency has demonstrated that many roles can be carried out remotely in ways that are productive, cost-effective and attractive to employers and their staff.

“It’s now over a year since the Government published its national remote working strategy, which said remote working would become the norm for 20% of public sector staff. As the biggest employer in the State, the public service must continue to take a leading role in making remote and blended work part of post-Covid working life,” he said.

Read the framework HERE. [ADD LINK]