Hybrid Working FAQs

Now that we are moving to different phase of the pandemic, where risks relating to the spread of Covid are significantly reduced, the Council is very clear that it wants to retain a vibrant workplace culture which allows staff time to collaborate, learn and work together in an office environment, whilst also having some flexibility to work from home. We have also extensively surveyed our staff on this matter, and 93% of our current homeworkers and agile homeworkers have indicated their preference for a hybrid working model with time in the office and time at home. This approach is also fully in line with the recently issued Scottish Government’s guidance for workplaces and the introduction of a hybrid approach.

The Council is clear that measures put in place which required staff to work from home exclusively, were introduced as a health and safety measure to reduce the spread of covid and protect vulnerable people. This requirement is now no longer necessary, and the Council is removing this requirement of staff along with relaxation of other mitigating measures recommend by the Scottish Government. Alongside this, working from home on a full-time basis is not suited to many of the posts within the Council, and whilst you feel that you may have been working successfully in this way over the last two years, it does not mean that this is appropriate going forward.

The Council recognises that homeworking has offered many employees a new level of flexibility and work life balance that they may wish to retain, and our new Hybrid model makes provision for retaining a significant proportion of this flexibility by allowing you to work from home 14 out of 20 working days, or 70% of your working time in a 4-week period

It is your responsibility to ensure that you are available for work during your contracted hours, without having to undertake other caring duties for others, whether working at home or in an office. If you require additional flexibility because of changes you have made, over and above what is being offered in your hybrid working pattern, you should discuss this with your manager at the first opportunity, and if necessary, apply to change your working pattern and/or hours through the Smarter Working Policy.

Officially, hybrid working will commence from Monday 4 April 2022, and you will be issued with a contract variation to this effect prior to that date. However, your manager will discuss the possibility of returning to the office prior to this date as part of the transition to the Hybrid Working model.

If your manager has identified your post as suitable for Hybrid Working, then you are expected to work in this way. We would ask that all Hybrid Workers work in this way initially. Going forward, if there is a reason that you cannot participate in Hybrid Working you should discuss this with your manager who will advise you accordingly.

The normal process will apply and therefore the decision as to whether or not you can work from home permanently will be based on the requirements of your post and the needs of the service. Although you may have been successfully working from home full time for the last two years, this does not mean that your post is suitable for working from home permanently going forward. If your working pattern is approved to be changed to fully homeworking, this will be in the form of an individual adjustment to your working arrangements, rather than a change to the contracted status of your role which will remain as a hybrid worker.

Yes, it will be pro-rata depending on the hours you are contracted to work. So, if you work 17.5 hours per week, you divide those hours by 5 (days) and multiply by the 6 (days) you are required to attend the office. In this example, you would be required to work 21 hours in the office.

Employees who work full time hours will be required to attend a minimum of 6 days.

Your line manager will agree this with you. Some posts are better suited to set days, whilst others will require flexibility.

Line managers will monitor this within their own teams and feedback any concerns when the review of the hybrid model is being undertaken.

It can be flexible, and your line manager will discuss this individually with you and with your full team to establish the most efficient and effective pattern for the service. As the reasons for coming into an office include collaboration, wellbeing, team development and induction for new staff, for most teams this is likely to mean that you are in at least once per week.

Feedback from staff and managers suggested that some face-to-face interaction each month would be helpful for specific things such as training, 121’s or team meetings, wellbeing discussions and to help combat isolation. We also recognised that people enjoy working from home, so felt this was a good proportion of time to be in the office.

You can work more than 6 days in the office if you wish to do so but you should discuss and agree this with your line manager, so that they can arrange for a permanent working space to be made available to you if this is required.

Yes, as this will allow for easy management of time by both managers and employees

The pattern of how you work your 6 days is something that will be agreed between you and your line manager, and you should be aware that such adjustments will only be agreed where it suits the requirements of your post and the service.

This should be discussed with your line manager to determine if it can be accommodated within the needs of your post and the service.

Yes, it could count towards one of your six days as long as this was agreed with your line manager. However, it may be that you are required to attend the office on additional days for team meetings or collaborative work.

The model is designed to allow for maximum flexibility for both employees and the service but how and when you work should be discussed and agreed with your line manager.

There would be no requirement to meet the minimum requirement of 6 days in these circumstances, unless there was a business requirement to attend the office and there was adequate time left in the 4-week period to do so.

If it is not one of the agreed 6 days, then it would be reasonable to provide a days’ notice, however managers would be asked to provide as much notice as possible. There may also be occasions when little notice will be given, but this should only be in exceptional circumstances.

The intention is not to get everyone back to an office/hub base all the time. The aim of the hybrid working model is to strike a balance between the efficiency and productivity of working at home with the need to bring teams together for health and wellbeing, good collaboration and creativity and to help with induction of new starts. This hybrid model will continue to be reviewed.

Yes, it will be important to attend as a team. However, in some roles it may be your attendance in an office is to collaborate with other teams or services. This should be discussed and agreed with your line manager.

The council has agreed a hybrid model as their future workplace model. There is an expectation that employees who have roles that can be undertaken in a hybrid way do so. If after trying the hybrid model, an employee would like to request to work less than 6 days in the office or would prefer to work fully at home, they can apply to do this through the Smarter Working Policy. Alternatively, if an employee is unable to work in a hybrid way due to a disability or personal reason including a health matter, they should discuss this with their line manager and a reasonable adjustment to their working pattern may be considered.

We would urge all hybrid workers to trial the scheme before submitting an application to change their hours or work base. If you have concerns about commencing the hybrid model please discuss these with your line manager in the first instance.e.

The normal rules of the Smarter Working Policy will apply, therefore you can only submit an application if it has been 12 months since you last submitted one.

If you have a temporary arrangement in place for an agreed period of 6 months, this should be reviewed and a decision taken as to whether or not it is suitable that you continue on a temporary or permanent basis. Any other work patterns you wish to be considered for should be applied for in the normal way.

There are no plans as part of the Hybrid Working Policy to change flexi leave. However, managers will continue to monitor flexi leave to ensure that employees are not working excessive hours or/and at times of the day that they are not required to work.

Yes, the coreless flexi process will operate as normal and will continue to be approved by your line manager and at the exigencies of the service.

This is certainly something that should be considered and discussed with the staff member and line manager.

Initially it will be in place for 12 months, during which time the scheme will be reviewed and amendments made where necessary.

Yes, they have approved the scheme for 12 months, with the agreement that there will be regular reviews of the scheme and its effectiveness.

You should only be working from home, hub or another NLC location. You should not be working from other personal locations unless in exceptional circumstances that have been agreed with your line manager. For instance, if you are required to temporarily care for a parent who lives in a separate home/area, you can ask to work from their home as opposed to your own.

No

No, any smarter working arrangements that have been agreed and are in place will not change.

No, if you are unable to work at home, you should advise your line manager who will arrange for you to have a permanent base within an office. You can also apply to HMRC for a tax allowance when working from home and details can be found here.

You are expected to attend your contracted office base for the six days, however you should discuss with your line manager the suitability of attending hubs or other offices during these days or outwith these days.

Hubs are areas that have been created for use by multiple people from different services. If you are classified as a hybrid or agile worker, the hubs will offer you more choice when you are out working in our communities. More information on the hubs is available on MyNL.

If you do not agree to the terms and conditions associated with Hybrid Working you will be asked to return to an office full time.

Each service has been given an office base, which helps ensure you and your team can meet together. Your line manager will be able to advise you of your base and you are encouraged to arrange an appropriate time to visit the space.

Details on how to book a desk or collaborative space can be found here. You don’t need to book a space in your service base unless your line manager devises a system that requires you to do so.

Yes, there will be the opportunity to book desk spaces/pods beyond what is available in your service base.

These decisions will be made by your line manager in discussion with the teams.

If your main office location is contractually changed and you are now required to travel further, then you will be entitled to excess travel for the days you travel, 18 months from the date of the commencement of the change to your contract.

The excess cost of travel is calculated on the basis of the bus fares or standard rail travel or, if the employee travels by private motor vehicle, on the basis of the public transport mileage rate (14 per mile). The payment only applies to the additional cost element experienced by the individual over that previously incurred in line with their historical work location.

Yes, we would encourage this. Please arrange this with your line manager

If you are unable to travel to your new office location, you should discuss this with your line manager to see what support can be provided. This may include adjusting your working times to allow you to travel to your new location on public transport.

Yes, these will be available in relevant areas of the buildings.

There will be café type services available in your building or nearby but there will not be restaurant facilities.

Pool cars will be available for use and your line manager will advise if you are able to access these.

The use of Council vehicles will be reviewed over the next 6 months in line with the review of the hybrid working model. There is no corporate pool car system with all previous pool cars being allocated to individual Services to use. The number of vehicles is the same as before the pandemic and we have less people in the office on any one day so there should be more than enough vehicles for people to use. If there are any issues with accessing vehicles then this should be raised through your line manager.

Yes, headsets will be included in the minimum kit for hybrid workers. If you don’t have one, please alert your manager as soon as possible.

You will be required to bring your laptop and any other equipment that you have been advised to bring by your line manager.

There will be a combination of options utilised depending on the role you undertake. Your line manager should discuss your individual and service needs with you.

If you have special requirements you should discuss these with your line manager who will make the appropriate arrangements for you to have the equipment you need to carry out your role.

All employees are required through their home working self-assessment to ensure a regular visual check of all equipment and cables is carried out. Portable appliance testing will be carried out by the Councils contractor at appropriate times.

Your line manager will discuss any requirements you need to allow you to return to the office and work safely.

All relevant equipment will be made available where staff have particular equipment needs, this will be the responsibility of line managers to arrange.

You should discuss any concerns you have with your line manager in the first instance.