Civil servants set for hybrid working policy in two months

Employees and bosses gearing up for a ‘once in a lifetime’ change to where staff are based

“A new hybrid working policy which offers a blended approach to working from home, remote working and office-based work subject to business need is expected to be launched in April," a spokeswoman said.

Anne Phillipson, director of change and consulting at business advisory firm Grant Thornton

“A new hybrid working policy which offers a blended approach to working from home, remote working and office-based work subject to business need is expected to be launched in April," a spokeswoman said.

Anne Phillipson, director of change and consulting at business advisory firm Grant Thornton

Margaret Canning Twitter Email

February 16 2022 11:00 AM

Hybrid working is due to begin for 25,000 civil servants from April, as employees and bosses alike face what one expert called a “revolution” in work.

The Department of Finance said workers across the Civil Service would stay at home while the government guidance remains that staff who can work from home should do so.

But a spokeswoman said: “A new hybrid working policy which offers a blended approach to working from home, remote working and office-based work subject to business need is expected to be launched in April, subject to health guidance at the time.”

The Civil Service has also worked on putting in place hubs in towns like Downpatrick and Ballymena, where civil servants who would otherwise have to travel to work in offices in Belfast can base themselves during the week.

The spokeswoman said the hubs, known as Connect2 Regional Hubs, were part of the policy for colleagues to use while working from home or remotely.

She said hubs in Ballykelly, Downpatrick, Ballymena and Craigavon were complete and would be in use when public health guidance on working from home is changed.

She added: “Progress is advancing well at the hubs in Bangor and Omagh. Newtownabbey is also planned for 2022 and Newry, Enniskillen, Londonderry and Mid Ulster are programmed for delivery in 2023.”

Homeworking has had an unwelcome impact on business owners who pre-pandemic, relied on the custom of office workers.

Donagh McGoveran, who owns Centra convenience stores in Belfast at River House and Cathedral Quarter, and two in south Belfast, said: “We are open at River House but trading at 50% of pre-Covid sales, and we definitely notice the absence of office workers.

"Some smaller private sector companies are back on hybrid working but the bigger private companies are still not around, and there is no sign of the civil servants at all.”

Anne Phillipson, director of people and change consulting at business advisory firm Grant Thornton, said hybrid working would be a big change for businesses.

She urged employers to consult with employees and have a detailed plan on how hybrid working would operate.

“It was almost easier to shut offices and send everyone home than it will be to figure out this next revolution of work.”

But she added: “I think this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to improve the working lives of most people.”

And even where the nature of some jobs meant they had to be site-based, employers should be as flexible as possible, she added.

All clients she had spoken to were adopting a hybrid approach rather than going back to the office full time or remaining fully remote.

“Hopefully hybrid will be the best of both worlds but if it's not managed properly, it could be the worst of both worlds.

"I haven’t been talking to any clients who have said they are going full time back to the office or fully embracing remote working.”

David Ferguson, co-owner of coffee shop chain Bob & Berts, which has a branch the city centre, said: “From our perspective, the more people in the city, the better. Of course if office workers are back, that's better for us. Our early morning trade has slowed off to the extent that we now open in the city centre at 8.30am instead of 7am.”

He said trade from families who were out and about post-lockdowns had helped, but their custom had decreased as concern about the cost of living mounted. “The return of office workers would be a great help,” he said.

Civil servants set for hybrid working policy in two months

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