From Department of Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform
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The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, and the Minister of State with responsibility for Public Procurement and eGovernment at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Ossian Smyth, today (Thursday) published the Civil Service Blended Working Policy Framework.
Today’s publication of the policy framework facilitates remote working on a blended basis across the Civil Service. It provides direction to individual organisations in the Civil Service to develop tailored policies on ‘blended working’ that are appropriate to their business needs it is also consistent with the Civil Service being an employer of choice.
This move to blended working also supports commitments in Our Rural Future, the Climate Action Plan and the National Planning Framework.
On the publication of the framework, Minister McGrath said:
“I welcome the publication of the Blended Working Policy Framework which marks the beginning of a new model of working in the Civil Service. The flexibility which blended working affords to both employees and their employers will be essential to the continued delivery of high quality services to Government, the public, and to business.
“Having considered the lessons learnt from remote working during the pandemic, there have been many benefits, challenges and opportunities identified. The Civil Service must strive for an optimal balance, where employees who work remotely, do so on a blended basis in order to allow for face-to-face interaction and collaboration with colleagues.
"I want to take this opportunity to also acknowledge the collaboration that has taken place, throughout the development of the Framework, between senior management in civil and public service and employee representative bodies."
Minister of State Smyth said:
“There is a desire by both Civil Service employers and employees to move to a more sustainable approach to blended working. This Blended Working Policy Framework supports numerous government commitments which aim to ensure that remote working is a permanent feature in the Irish workplace in a way that maximises economic, social and environmental benefits."
The Blended Working Policy Framework provides an overarching framework to inform the development of blended working policies in government departments and offices and to ensure a consistency of approach across the Public Service. It was co-designed by representatives from Civil Service Organisations and in consultation with Trade Unions and Staff Associations. The Framework will be reviewed on an ongoing basis to adapt to any changes required to meet the needs of business and employees, to incorporate any broader strategies and approaches to new ways of working and to recognise that current views on blended working are likely to evolve as blended working is embedded.
The key objectives of the Blended Working Policy Framework are to:
1. Ensure the Civil Service will continue to deliver high quality services to Government, the public and business.
2. Deliver on the Programme for Government commitment to move to 20% remote/home working.
3. Enable departments and offices to formulate tailored approaches that best meet the needs of individual organisations and their employees, within the overall Framework.
4. Ensure the Civil Service remains an employer of choice by widening talent pools with potential access to blended working options.
5. Support employee engagement, innovation and productivity by providing options for additional flexibility, by offering options for reduced commutes, more affordable housing choices and improved wellbeing for all employees.
6. Over time, leveraging digital technology in the way we work, alleviating accommodation pressures and potentially reducing the cost of office space for the Civil Service.
7. Support the new Public Sector Decarbonisation Strategy, which has set a public sector decarbonisation target of at least 50% by 2030.
8. Deliver economic benefits by aligning with some of the aims of Our Rural Future - Rural Development Policy 2021 - 2025 , and wider Project Ireland 2040 objectives for sustainable regional, rural and urban development.
The Blended Working Policy Framework includes common principles to apply across the Civil Service. This will ensure a consistency of approach aligned within the framework which individual departments and offices can adapt to business needs and local demand. This will also help bring a consistency of approach across the wider Public Service. The following principles underpin the operation of blended working in the Civil Service:
The Blended Working Policy Framework will be subject to review once the Right to Request Remote Working legislation is complete to ensure that the Framework complies with the main provisions contained in the Act.