If you work for the civil service and are hybrid working ...

[bringandbought]

... how much flexibility do you have and do you think it will last?

I currently have a very secure job with a university, in IT. It is hybrid, so meant to be 2 days in the office, but my manager is very flexible, so I'm rarely in more than 1 day a week, and often not at all if there are transport/weather issues or I'm feeling below par, or have a valid domestic reason like a school strike or plumber visiting. How much of this flexibility will I lose if I move to a civil service job? Is flexibility manager-dependent, or does Jacob Rees Mogg's influence spread far and wide? And do you think there is a risk that hybrid working will end altogether at some point? (The job I'm applying for has a market supplement attached, so I'm tempted, but I'd feel very aggrieved if hybrid working evaporated in future).

Interesting- I’m also in HOCs!

We are supposed to do 40% of days in the office. I did ask days v time and was told days so i work shorter days in the office and longer ones at home in order to work around my childcare. I don't think it's gonna change any time soon. Even prior to covid we were being pushed to WFH two days a week due to desk shortages. it seems to be working well now and everythings set up for virtual meetings anyway so that's fine

That reminds me Bells

Prior to covid we were trying to transition to hybrid working anyway, we’ve always had desking for only a percentage of staff as we do site visits anyway and had recently taken a early changeover from the default of desktop PCs to laptops for all of the branch - which allowed us to keep fully running on day 1 of lockdown (though I did stay in office for an extra few days supporting the establishment of a COVID team)

Its been government policy for years to reduce office space and sell off buildings

Back to rant mode - Jacob complained about Civil Servants working from home in compliance with government policy, and included people who’s offices were shut down

Changed desking with less full desks, but more ‘drop in areas’ etc has actually resulted in the ability to accommodate more people in office than before when we had fully featured desktop PC desks for only a percentage of staff

We are 40% home office and we do enforce it as it’s contractual. But it’s 40% over around 12wks. So can do more or less some weeks as long as 40% overall

In our dept it’s 40% of contracted hours so 2 shorter days we would ask someone to make up the shortfall

Organisations sponsored by government departments such as Natural England and the Environment Agency have very similar benefits to the civil service however don't need to worry about JRM and his whims. In my organisation hybrid is definitely here to stay, my manager is very flexible and just likes to know where we are this is important as we could be at different offices, at home or working on site, others are a little stricter on keeping to 40% in office. All office staff where I work are expected to stay at home and work if unwell (if well enough to work) to keep the rest of the work force healthy.

We are technically hybrid, but the majority are WFH 100%. I have been in once in the last year. There are no plans for attendance in office to be made compulsory, unless for individual reasons relating to performance etc. There are some staff who are 100% in office but it is in the main for personal reasons.

I’m Defra and the expectation is that you go in for a minimum of 40-60%. But note that’s a minimum. My worry is that at some point you could get told to go in for more.

Thanks all. Very helpful. As a pp suggested, I now see that there is an option to buy additional leave through salary sacrifice. Does anyone know what formula will be used to calculate the cost of this? If I can work out the cost of buying the relevant number of days it will help me understand what salary offer to aim for.

I’m Defra and the expectation is that you go in for a minimum of 40-60%. But note that’s a minimum. My worry is that at some point you could get told to go in for more.

Surely employers (and most definitely the CS) must realise that all this is very unsettling for people? And that most people need a clear message about office attendance expectations at the outset, not “we are currently doing x, but may change to y”

@Coffeepot72 if the civil service gave a flying fuck about stability for employees perm secs would defend us when ministers run their mouths off. We are political pawns, it is par for the course unfortunately.

As a pp, I’ve been in the CS for over a year and yet to work in the office. Hardly anyone is in the London office which apparently is tiny, so JRM isn’t floating around our (less desirable bits of the country) offices.

Anyone here worked as a case admin for probation and been able to do hybrid? I have recently applied and it did say hybrid is available but not exactly how much? I have a toddler so it would be really easy for me I do can do 3 days from home to pick and drop him at childcare