Chris Squire (Service Director, HROD) introduced the report and discussed:

a)    The impact of the COVID19 pandemic on working practises for organisations and individuals;

b)    Changes to working strategy employed by Plymouth City Council (PCC) following the end of the COVID19 pandemic lockdowns, which included reducing the office footprint;

c)    The differentiation between flexible, service based, and frontline/mobile workers;

d)    Recognition that not all roles were suited to hybrid or remote working, and that some tasks were best completed face to face.

Alison Mills (Head of HR) added:

e)    Changes in strategy during the COVID19 pandemic, including the closure of several office spaces,  had encouraged employees to work from home;

f)     Since the COVID19 pandemic restrictions were eased, some departments and employees had already begun proactive discussions around where they worked best. For some, this had included returning to the office on certain days;

g)    It was important to begin discussions with departments around where services were best delivered.

Councillor Dann (Cabinet Member for Customer Services, Sport, Leisure, and HROD) added:

h)    Proposals for future ways of working would be subject to staff and trade union consultation. It was therefore not appropriate to discuss further details publically at this stage.

In response to questions, the Board discussed:

i)     The meaning and accuracy of the phrase used within the report: “work is not somewhere you go”;

j)     The potential implications of remote working for new staff and apprentices;

k)    Carbon neutrality and ‘rationalising the footprint” of employees, including the reduction in the quantity of corporate buildings;

l)     Employee productivity and capacity in various work settings;

m)  Perceptions of increased accountability when staff were present in office locations;

n)    The implications of working from home practices on the local economy and transport network;

o)    The implications of working policies on the recruitment and retention of staff;

p)    Important demographic considerations, including:

i.   Approximately 50% of PCCs workforce were over the age of 50;

ii.  Approximately 66% of PCC employees were female;

iii. The majority of caring responsibilities in the UK fell to women;

q)    Clarification that 66% of PCC employees were ‘flexible workers’. This meant that they alternated working between home and office settings;

r)    The importance of quality and continuity of service, which should be delivered regardless of working location;

s)     The importance of staff engagement and consultation when shaping any future working policies and strategies.

The Board agreed to pass a resolution under Section 100A(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 to exclude the press and public from the meeting for the following items of business, on the grounds that they involved the likely disclosure of exempt information as defined in paragraph 4 of Part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Act, as amended by the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

(Please note there is a confidential part to this minute)

Following a return to part 1, the Board agreed:

1.    To note the work that had already taken place;

2.    To recommend that the final draft of the Hybrid Working Policy was brought back to the Scrutiny Management Board for consideration, following consultation with the trade unions and staff, and integration with the ‘Peoples Strategy’, which was under development.