To ask if Civil Service are really enforcing the hybrid work policy to the letter?

[Lilifer]

I hope some CIvil Service employees can help me here. I about to leave a job for a position in the civil service. My current job is 90% remote and I love the work and my team but it's s big US corporation and the holiday and time off is quite restricted compared to the civil service which I think offers s better work life balance, flexitime more annual leave etc

The civil service Job ad says their policy is 2 days in office and 3 days work from home. Problem is I live 55 miles from office and nearby parking is £25-£30 a day and there's no civil service discount becasue there's so much demand for it that there's a waiting list. I did not know that when I accepted Job and now this adds £50-60 per week to my commute bill., as well as about £40 per week on fuel.

Are there any CS employees out there who can advise me how much flexibility there is in individual departments on the hybrid policy. Do they take in to account individual Circs such as how far away people live and the likely cost to them of parking etc or is it a rigid rule set for all regardless of circs?

Am quite worried about this and am thinking of now reversing my resignation in my current job. I really really wanted this cs job and if they can allow me to work a bit less in office then I don't mind a bit of extra expense but can't justify £200-£240 per month just for parking and the same amount again for fuel.

This is all consistent with my experience. No-one really drives to my office (northern city centre location, a regional hub). People use train, bus, or park&ride.

Your office is obviously in a city centre with those kind of parking costs, and will therefore have decent transport links, so the cost of parking isn't something they'll make allowances for.

I live 30 miles from my office. I'd get short shrift if I insisted on driving my commute but claimed the cost of parking was prohibitive, when the train fare is less than a third of the parking cost.

Your line manager may be able to be flexible by letting you only come in one day per week when it is snowing in winter but you would be expected to make that up by coming in three days the following week. You said the job ad explicitly said 2 days per week in the office. The CS, unlike private sector (and I have worked in both) can’t change requirements of role to fit successful applicant because that would be unfair to those people who didn’t apply because of the min 2 days/week. There just isn’t the possibility of “negotiation” in the CS because of the need to be totally transparent about recruitment decisions.

depends entirely on whether the role is customer focused and whether you have any disability or long term condition that would mean reasonable adjustments were appropriate. Also depends on your manager. But as others have said, if you take the job based on a 2/3 day split, knowing you can't do that, it won't be looked upon favourably.

Exactly this.

Thank you. I’m really worried the OP is only reading the posts which suggest there will be the flexibility she wants. I’m a senior civil servant and honestly know what I’m talking about here. I am also a great supporter of flexible working but it doesn’t mean everyone gets to do just what they want.

@Nowfeeltheneedtopost equally I'm worried the OP will take all the other posts literally and walk away from the job without discussing with the manager first, being a senior civil servant doesn't mean you know more than anyone else here, I'm not denying it's not a risk because any flexibility is likely to be informal and not guaranteed, but honestly I do not recognise most of the posts here, I've worked across 3 organisations and have not been subjected to the strictness described here. It might be moot if OP is HMRC which does seem to be one of the stricter organisations, but honestly there are areas operating in the CS very flexibly. I know people living hundreds of miles from their pinned location, I line manage one!

why on earth would a parking company with an oversubscribed car park offer a discount to civil servants?
And if the CS are recruiting people that can't be bothered to research the cost / time of commute before applying, little wonder at the inefficiency of many of the services.

I do understand that the cost of commuting is a shock if you haven't done it before.

But pre covid it would have been five days a week

Whether it is a Civil Service or any other job, you should assume the possibility of going to an office more than at present, if moving to another job.

The OP hasn't answered the question, but the only SOLS directorate I'm aware of is the HMRC one, although there may be others. If it is HMRC, then several posters on this thread have all given the same answer, which is that the job will not have the level of flexibility she is hoping for.

I never intended to suggest I know more than anyone else. I understand that different people have had different experiences during and post pandemic. My point is that this is a role which has recently been advertised as requiring 2 days per week in the office. Whether someone who has been working for a number of years in some area of the civil service is able to go into the office only 1 day per week is irrelevant. And yes, of course OP should discuss with the hiring manager.

Ok it looks like I either need to have another convo with my manager-to-be and possibly consider withdrawing from this Job if the last few posts are anything to go by, and I do appreciate all the candid and informative responses to this.

The job advert stated "Where the role is suitable, employees will have the opportunity (though not a contractual entitlement) to work from home for two days per week, or more where the business agrees" this is why I thought there would be flexibility if the business/manager agrees it , that's what I took from that employment term.

Ours is 40% over a month and is enforced. You can pick your days so you can do a full week in the office and the other three at home. We do have a couple of people with exemptions but they are generally for caring reasons or because the person is CEV. I’m not sure how it is monitored- IP addresses or swipe cards possibly as you can’t get on site without swiping. We have lost a fair few people to the private sector due to the policy.

@Nowfeeltheneedtopost my organisation puts 40-60% office attendance on its adverts but it is not close to reality across most of the organisation. The unofficial agreed minimum is 1 day a week (and even then some do less than that due to location, but that's due to our location strategy which is another thread). As I say I appreciate it is always a risk as it is not guaranteed, and even less secure than the 40-60 which in itself isn't protected contractually, but it is the reality, so I am of the view you apply for the job you want, discuss with the manager, see what you can agree and manage expectations that it could all change. My career would be a couple of steps behind if I had taken a more cautious approach.

I won't make any decisions till speaking again with manager-to-be, she's very approachable and I'm sure she will clarify in what circs they can apply flexibility. I wouldn't pull out of job unless I really feel it's going to be too much.

To the other poster who criticised me for not "bothering" to research parking etc properly I worked in CS last year in a central office ten mins from the one I'm about to start in and that was a private owned car park which civil service employees had a substantial discount for so I presumed a similar arrangement here. I got that wrong. But it must be great to be as perfect as you are. 😊

The wording you've quoted is recognisable to me as a HMRC wording, word for word, which was released following our latest T&Cs deal.

I'm a current HMRC employee in a technical specialist role, but not SOLS (my directorate requires 3 days rather than 2), working at a regional centre, so my experience is probably relevant to you.

@Lilifer absolutely, you just need to have a frank conversation. If 1 day a week is what is manageable for you then you need to go to them now and ask if that is something they can endorse, the manager may be happy to unofficially accept that with the caveat it is informal, then it is just pressing ahead with the risk and understanding that it is not guaranteed and may change (which is what I am doing, I change roles frequently anyway, quite easy to do within the CS). If they are not able to agree to that then you know it's not worth proceeding.

Have you looked into alternative parking eg www.parkonmydrive.com/ (other providers are available) or maybe a hybrid commute where you park in next town and use a train/bus for remainder of journey.

@Lilifer People are supposed to go 40% into the office in my department but it's really patchily enforced so it's definitely worth talking to your future manager. I've been contractually WFH since a few years before COVID, so the hybrid policy doesn't affect me, but I'm happy to travel to offices for meetings if necessary. This only happens about once a month for me.

It is strictly reinforced and we have to be 3 days a week in the office.

im not sure if you have mis-typed but your quote from the job ad of “the opportunity to work from home 2 days per week” suggests 3 days per week in office? Your OP suggested an expectation of 2 days in the office. Either way, the best advice is obviously to discuss with the hiring manager.

enquire about parking at the office ten mins away ?

That quote is from a press release by HMRC after they agreed contract changes with the Union (link to Google search below)

Most HMRC directorates are required to work 3 days a week in the office, but a couple of smaller directorates (including SOLS) only expect 2 days a week in the office. They are outliers within HMRC though.

www.google.com/search?q=%22Where+the+role+is+suitable%2C+employees+will+have+the+opportunity+%28though+not+a+contractual+entitlement%29+to+work+from+home+for+two+days+per+week%2C+or+more+where+the+business+agrees%22&client=ms-android-samsung-ss&ei=wFkDZLaHJtjtgAa0r6uoAg&oq=%22Where+the+role+is+suitable%2C+employees+will+have+the+opportunity+%28though+not+a+contractual+entitlement%29+to+work+from+home+for+two+days+per+week%2C+or+more+where+the+business+agrees%22&gs_lcp=ChNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwEANKBAhBGABQ3AtY3AtgsxBoAHAAeACAAQCIAQCSAQCYAQCgAQHAAQE&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp

Yes I was confused by that too but asked at interview and they said it was two days a week in office.

Some very useful info here, I'll definitely look into the parking in driveway thing and also see if I can get in to the car park then mins away from new workplace.

I'll contact new boss and have another discussion re expectations of this as from reading all these responses it's possible it's a lot stricter than I anticipated but will only know for sure once I have that chat.

Thanks all for responding 🙏