Working patterns for Plymouth City Council staff to change

'Let's work together approach'

Plymouth City Council staff are to be consulted over working patterns which may encourage them back to the office.

A framework called ‘new ways of working’ which promoted home working during and after the pandemic is to be replaced with a ‘let’s work together’ approach.

The details on a new hybrid and flexible working structure haven’t been revealed publicly because staff and unions have to be consulted first.

The council’s scrutiny management board discussed the issue this week, but went into a confidential session to thrash out the details.

The meeting heard that before covid, there was occasional homeworking  but it later became the norm for most office-based employees who were able to work from home.

It aimed to improve staff attraction and retention, support work-life balance, and reduce stress levels.

The council’s head of human resources Alison Mills said staff were “encouraged” to work at home at that point. The council reduced its carbon footprint and closed offices at Windsor House and Midland House.

Since then, different departments had “taken it upon themselves” to do what was best for them.

Ms Mills said the council now wants to see how service is best delivered.

Around two in three staff are flexible workers, meaning they have a primary work location but have the choice to work where they want.

Frontline workers account for a quarter of the workforce and 13 per cent are service workers who need face to face contact or use specialist equipment that can’t be used from home.

Cllr Steve Ricketts (Ind, Drake) said it is “unfair” that people are out working in parks and communities and their colleagues work from home.

He said he felt sorry for apprentices, who were offered “fantastic opportunities” with the council and then had to work from home.

“It’s all right if you are a seasoned professional in your fifties and you have learnt life skills, and how to handle yourself and how to operate but if you are a young apprentice you need people around you and we are failing people.”

He said he was shocked at empty seats at the council’s main offices  and felt the council us “slowing down as an organisation”.

In addition people were not using public transport or supporting coffee shops and the local economy if they did not come into the office.

“We have to get back to serving the public properly and effectively, there are councillors who do not know what the staff look like, they walk past them in city centre.”

Cllr Lee Finn (Con, Budshead) said other organisations funded by government such as the probation service are encouraging people to come back into offices.

“We are paid for by the public and answerable to them. We have to be more accountable,” he said.

The council’s service director for human resources and organisational development Chris Squire said he was a “massive believer” in bringing people together face to face but some people had adjusted their lives so they could combine caring responsibilities with work.

“We need to be mindful of how we recruit and retain and develop talent and look after our colleagues,” he said.

Cabinet member for human resources and customer service Sue Dann (Lab, Sutton and Mount Gould) said the capacity of the council to serve the demand of residents is “huge”  and the authority did not have enough people

She said a few years ago there was 45 people answering the helpline, that had reduced to 12 because of cuts, but whether people were at home or in the office they still pick up the phone.

And she said apprentices are encouraged to come into the office.

“We have not slowed down because of hybrid working,” she claimed.