Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats)
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225. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 26 April 2022, the way that flexi-leave will be taken into account for those who work less than five days per week further to the publication of the Civil Service Blended Working Policy Framework; if details of the way that blended and hybrid-work will take flexi-leave into consideration will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25479/22]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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Further to Parliamentary Question No. 583 of 26 April 2022, the availability of flexitime accrual for those availing of a blended working arrangement is continuing to be considered. The Civil Service will test how flexitime accrual in a blended working environment will impact on the operational and business needs of organisations. This will involve a testing of approaches, informed by a recent Civil Service Arbitration Board report, the details of which will be finalised over the coming weeks.

As noted in my previous answer, due to the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 on normal working arrangements, the operation of traditional flexi-time and attendance management rules do not support the flexible arrangements and agility required during this extraordinary situation. These arrangements were temporarily suspended in April 2020 to facilitate the required new ways of working across the public service.

The normal operation of flexi-time, or equivalent attendance management rules, including any flexi-time accruals and deficits, continues to remain temporarily suspended for those employees who are working under different arrangements. This includes those who are working from home or working a pattern of working from home/in the work premises.

Flexi-time accrual arrangements were re-introduced from August 2020 in circumstances where employees are attending the employer’s work premises for the full complement of their normal, pre-COVID work attendance patterns and rostered hours.

Remote working in the Civil Service, post COVID-19, will be facilitated on a blended basis. In this context, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, in consultation with employers across the Civil Service has developed a Blended Working Policy Framework for the Civil Service. The Framework was published on 31st March 2022 and has been distributed to all Civil Service organisations to allow for the development of their own blended working policies. When completed, each Department/Office will roll out their blended working policies and implementation plans.