Plans are firmly underway to move to our Future Workplace Model on the 4th April 2022. As managers, you should have already met with your teams to talk about what this means, and particularly for those transitioning to working in a hybrid way.
As you know hybrid workers replace those staff previously categorised as Homeworkers or Agile Workers – Homebased. All staff who are categorised as hybrid workers should have been informed by their manager that under the hybrid scheme, they will be required to attend an NLC location for 6 days in every 20 working days (pro-rata for part time workers) and work the remaining 14 days from home, other Council location or Hub. As a manager you should provide as much detail as possible to your team about how this will operate in your team, talk to them about what their service base will look like, your transition plans and allow them the opportunity to ask any questions.
The principles associated with Hybrid Working will be detailed within the Council’s Hybrid Working Scheme which will be in place for a period of one year from 4 April 2022. We are currently in the consultation process with the trade unions regarding the contents of the scheme but in the meantime to try and address any questions staff may have around hybrid working, we have developed a set of Frequently Asked Questions which can be accessed at the bottom of this page. We will continue to review and add to the FAQ’s over the coming weeks.
On completion of the consultation process with the trade unions, we will publish the Hybrid Working Scheme and further detailed information for managers and staff on its implementation.
As we begin to transition to this new way of working, there is an opportunity for staff to attend their new service base as part of an induction back into an office environment and into this new way of working and to ensure they have what they need in the office to undertake their role. Services may ask staff to attend their new base before the 4th April to help them with this transition to hybrid working and we would ask staff to work with services on this.
Managers should note that arrangements for first aid and fire safety have not been finalised in the buildings and this will be required before a full return of all staff is considered. Any manager who is returning employees prior to 4th April will be required to put in place appropriate fire and first aid cover and advise the building manager the mitigating measures they have implemented. All hybrid workers are required to undertake online first aid and fire safety training prior to the 4th April and so this should be implemented as soon as possible.
For more information, please visit our Hybrid Working FAQ page.