Public sector employees on teleworking arrangements in-creased from 14 in 2006 to 548 last year, while those on reduced hours went up from 940 to 1,543, according to a National Audit Office performance audit report on flexible work arrangements for public service employees.
The report, laid on the table of the House yesterday, shows that employees on telework rose to 18 in 2007 to 167 in 2008 and to 306 in 2009. Those on reduced hours increased to 1,140 in 2007 to 1,157 in 2008 and to 1,461 in 2009.
The performance audit was achieved through three cross-comparative studies focusing on corresponding flexible work arrangements, that is, telework, flexible work schedules and reduced hours. Four organisations were considered in the study for the flexible work schedules measure and two for the reduced hours measure.
The report concluded that when workers were offered various options in this regard, the uptake of such arrangements was spread over a number of measures. The NAO considered this to be significant, as it provided organisations with greater workforce flexibility.
The analysis confirmed that the measures were a success and employees found them to be practical and useful. The introduction of flexible work schedules led to a drastic drop in the number of pay deductions associated withlateness.
All four case study organisations have gained a comprehensive understanding of the management aspects of the measures.
The NAO said organisations that introduced such measures, or were planning to introduce them, would benefit from the application of a number of recommendations.
It suggested that before introducing flexible work schedules, employees should be involved in the establishment of technicalities governing each measure. Such technicalities would include, mainly, the desired core hours which suit the employees and adequately fit the organisation’s operational framework.
The organisations should ensure that the core hours selected for flexible work schedules do not in any way jeopardise the organisation’s strategic, as well as operational, objectives, and that the flow of work is not undermined.
Where possible, the entities must apply the same schedule across the whole organisation. The alignment of policies and procedures would push up efficiency, while maintaining the required effectiveness. In addition, this change would continue to foster a work environment that encouraged equality.
The report suggests that the policy on flexible work schedules and/or reduced hours should be included, where possible, in the organisation’s collective agreement, thus providing employees with ease of access to the policy.
Attendance and movements should be monitored through an electronic attendance-verification system, rather than through a manual one. Relevant financial considerations might be minimal if the organisation already had an electronic attendance-verification system in place and monitored staff movement. Organisations should develop a standardised system of pay deductions so as to foster an environment of equality and fairness.
The NAO recommended that public sector organisations should consider introducing new work methods, such as job sharing, when encountering difficulties with manning certain departments or units within the same organisation.
They should introduce a system whereby worker movement to and from the office building was duly recorded and justified to reduce the risk of, and curtail, any abuse related to deliberate absenteeism.
The NAO encouraged the diversification of flexible work arrangements across organisations, as long as their implementation did not hamper or in any way undermine the flow of work. Such arrangements were to be ideally designed with interministerial business and operability needs in mind, where such alignment would contribute to the overall efficiency and effectiveness of these measures.
It also encouraged organisations to consider an extension of flexible work schedules, where hours worked outside the stipulated core hours could be compensated-for over a pre-determined period. Such arrangements would afford employees with greater flexibility while also ensuring that the organisation’s core hours are being adhered to.