Agenda item

To receive a report updating the Committee on the current position regarding flexible working/homeworking at the Council.

The Committee received an update report regarding the current position of flexible working/homeworking at the Council. Flexible working mainly applied to office based staff. It was enhanced in 2009 and there were now standard, enhanced and compressed flexible working schemes. There were different flexible working arrangements for field based staff which enabled resource to be kept where needed. For example, Streetscene employees work longer hours in the summer and shorter hours in the winter.

Homeworking had been introduced on a voluntary basis and was being kept under review by The Way We Work Sub-Programme Board. Homeworking was continuing to be promoted on a voluntary basis; making homeworking compulsory would constitute a change in contractual terms. With regard to the cost of homeworking, from the original budget of £40,000 there was £10,000 remaining. The benefits of homeworking were that it increased efficiency and supported management of attendance, in particular, when used as part of rehabilitation packages for employees returning to work following long term sickness absence.  

Questions had been raised by Members regarding the £63,000 cost of implementing homeworking that had been offset by partners moving into the Civic Offices. It had been suggested that there was a saving in carbon emissions from employees working from home. However, Members considered that partners would still be emitting carbon, and therefore the Council would not benefit from the £63,000 worth of savings. Members were in favour of homeworking/flexible working etc, but felt that the £63,000 figure had not been explained adequately. It was confirmed that the figure of £63,000 was an estimate that had been based upon 40% of staff working from home one day per week. Approximately £30,000 had actually been spent and therefore the Council was not spending as much of the money coming in from partners. The next step was to focus on recycling equipment employees had at home that they were not using, and to make it available to employees wanting to work from home. Officers noted that a lot of employees used their own equipment when working from home.

Employees regularly working from home could claim a supplement for electricity etc and the figure of £3.00 per week complied with HM Revenues and Customs as anything beyond this sum would become a taxable benefit. Members questioned whether this supplement was being claimed by employees working from home. Employees needed to work from home at least 60% of the working week before they could claim the allowance, most employees worked from home on an occasional basis and only one employee worked from home enough to be able to claim the allowance.

Members questioned how it was determined that employees could work from home. There were a whole range of points that managers needed to consider and an element of trust was required; there had only been one performance issue so far. Furthermore, there were no security issues with regard to the transportation of secure information, as employees did not need to physically take information home, as were able to access the Council’s information systems remotely in a secure way.

Members stated their support of flexible working but considered that the Council should not go down the route of contractual homeworking. Other local authorities had given serious consideration to homeworking when they had moved into new buildings. It was considered that homeworking would be good for business continuity in the event of a major incident and it was also noted that homeworking would be beneficial for people with disabilities who may not be able to attend work in the Civic Offices. It was agreed by the Committee that regular updates were to be received regarding flexible working, and the next update would be expected in six months time.

RESOLVED:                        (a) That the information be received.

(b) That an update be provided to the Committee regarding flexible working in six months time.