Hybrid working - staff updates

Hybrid working

Below you'll find information and support about hybrid working.

If you have any questions about your hybrid working arrangement and you can't find the answer below then you should ask your line manager or local HR Team.

Message from the Chief Executive

21 November 2022

Colleagues,

I would like to tell everyone involved in the hybrid working pilot that this way of working will continue for the foreseeable future.

Thanks to everyone who completed the survey, this feedback is important because it has helped us to make an informed decision about how we can continue with hybrid working to provide the best services we can for the city of Glasgow and its local communities.

Looking at the research from staff and managers, what stands out is that continued flexibility in the way we work is maintaining service delivery and continuing to support a work life balance for those staff who can work in a hybrid way.

You can read the summary results of the staff survey here.

We're still on the hybrid working journey and we'll continue to keep reviewing arrangements and adjusting accordingly. Many decisions will continue to be taken at a local level, due to the complexity of the services we deliver, but following the hybrid working principles and guidance we have already established.

We need to make sure that we continue to deliver what the city needs and we all need to be flexible to meet changing demands. It's evident from the research that you're willing to do this, so please continue to support the needs of your Service, your team and each other.

I recognise that many of our colleagues can't have the location flexibility which can be offered to those who work in offices, so we will continue to look at ways for more flexible working options for everyone.

We've already shared much of this with our trade unions and they're supportive of our approach. At this point there will be no changes to terms and conditions, because of hybrid working.

If you work for Glasgow Health and Social Care Partnership, then you should continue to follow the local guidance issued to you.

Making best use of office space

Evidence gathered during the pilot shows that our city centre office occupancy rate is, on average, about a third of where it was before the pandemic. However, our costs to keep these offices running and the impact on the environment have not reduced.

A project team has been set up to work with Services based in the city centre to reduce the office space we use by around half and change this space to better suit hybrid working. This project aims to deliver significant savings to help with our financial challenges, as well as contributing towards a net zero carbon city.

We will look at opportunities to make best use of offices where we can deliver social and economic benefits for the city. Our move out of 220 High Street and maximising our space in Eastgate are good examples of how we've already done this.

Services will be at the heart of developing and shaping the space they need as we reduce the space we use. It won't be a one size fits all approach; hybrid solutions will need to be designed to support service delivery. Managers will receive further guidance about how they can support plans to free up space.

If you've got any suggestions or feedback, then you can email me at annemarie@glasgow.gov.uk

Colleagues,

I want to give you an update about the re-launch of our hybrid working pilot now that there are no longer any government restrictions in place about working in the office and most aspects of our lives are becoming more normal again.

Hybrid working means a mixture of both office/field and home working. Everyone whose role is suitable for hybrid working should plan a work pattern with their line manager and team if they've not already done so. This will involve splitting time between your home and office/field. For most, this will mean spending more time in the office than has been possible over the last two years.

Updated service and team plans for hybrid working should be in place to start no later than 4 April, which provides some time to prepare where this is needed.

Staff can return to their own desk in their normal place of work following their pilot work pattern, as office capacity restrictions are no longer required. The council's health and safety standards will continue to apply in all our buildings.

One size will not fit all - managers, staff and teams will need to reach a balance of home and office working which suits the needs of their service. Heads of service will give direction on plans to make sure that priorities are delivered and managers and staff will be issued with further guidance on the principles we will work to.

Your work-life balance is important to the council, and I know from talking to you that many of you have gained benefits to your personal lives from working at home. I want to keep as much of that flexibility as possible in line with the needs of the roles and services you deliver.

That said, a balance must be struck, as I also know that it's when we're together having more informal and impromptu conversations that we can find solutions to the city's problems that can make a real difference to the everyday lives of Glaswegians.

You should look forward to seeing your colleagues back in the office on a more regular basis to benefit from being able to interact directly with them, sparking new ideas, creativity and more supportive team working, particularly for less experienced colleagues.

The hybrid pilot will run until at least September to allow managers and staff to test these new arrangements. It won't be perfect as we adjust to more office working but I'm asking you to continue to be flexible and open minded. Your views and contributions will be key as we continue to test and adjust hybrid arrangements.

I am pleased to confirm that this approach has the support of the trade unions, and we will continue to liaise with them throughout the pilot.

I also want to acknowledge that most of our colleagues cannot have the location flexibility which can be offered to those who work in offices. We will continue to look at ways for more flexible working options for everyone.

Finally, I want to remind you that the health and safety of our staff is paramount, our risk assessments are continually updated, in consultation with our trade unions, to take into consideration the continued government advice for businesses on mitigating covid in the workplace. Everyone has a role to play and particularly in respecting our colleagues who may have different levels of concern regarding more office attendance. We are supporting the Scottish Government's Distance Aware Scheme, encouraging everyone to continue to be aware of their distance from others.

The frequently asked questions on the website about hybrid working have all the information you need about health and safety in the office, including our encouragement to continue to wear face coverings after 21 March when moving around, awareness of distancing and increasing ventilation.

Visit the Staff Updates on the website here for information about hybrid working.

Your service and line manager will share further guidance with you at team and one to one meetings.

I'm interested to hear your thoughts and ideas about hybrid working and how we can change the way we work to better support the city; you can email me at ask Annemarie

Hybrid working principles

The council is committed to hybrid working, a balance of working between home and office working must be struck. We still need to come together face-to-face to maintain team working and business relationships, to support each other, particularly new starts and less experienced colleagues and have more informal and impromptu conversations to find solutions to our problems. Everyone must remain flexible as service needs can change; working arrangements will be always be subject to change in line with service requirements.

We will all follow these hybrid working principles

Flexible - we will aim for flexibility in where and how we work to introduce a sustainable level of home and office working for benefit of our services and staff.

Collaborative - we will come together to sustain team working and gain the benefits of working together in person.

Supportive - we will spend enough time in the office to support colleagues, the team and service delivery, learning and developing through the process.

Resilient - through talking with individuals and at team level, we will meet the needs of the service internal customers and citizens, adjusting arrangements as required.

Adaptable - we recognise that one size does not fit all and individuals, services and roles vary, as will hybrid arrangements and we will all contribute to find mutually beneficial solutions.

Questions about office equipment

What equipment do I need to take between home and office?

You'll need to take your laptop along with your keyboard, mouse and portable laptop stand (if required) between home and office.

You can use a portable laptop stand if you don't have a suitable monitor on your desk or you use your laptop screen for MS Teams. A portable laptop stand can help you to raise or lower your laptop screen to the right position for you, following your Display Screen Equipment Risk Assessment.

You should have a network cable at your desk and you'll also need a monitor adaptor cable.

If you don't have any of these items, then talk to your line manager who can make an order from the service ICT co-ordinator.

If you need any other equipment then you'll need to take this between home and office, where possible, for example, a wrist rest.

You'll find a guide to connecting your laptop in the office in the ICT section of the FAQs.

If you consider you will be unable to carry your equipment between home and office, then speak to your manager and include that in your DSE risk assessment and appropriate mitigation actions will be explored.

What if I need additional or specialist equipment?

If you need additional equipment or specialist display screen equipment (DSE) that has been identified as part of your DSE assessment, then this equipment will be provided to you following the results of the relevant risk assessment.

Everyone who works at a display screen must complete a display screen equipment risk assessment for both home and office working.

You'll find the word icon DSE risk assessment for home [33kb] here and the DSE risk assessment for office here. [97kb].

How do I book and use a hybrid meeting room for participants at home and in the office?

Follow this guide [540kb] to book and use a hybrid meeting room, at the moment there are two meeting rooms with this technology:

G22 Ground Floor Exchange House, 231 George Street
2.09 City Chamber East, second floor, Cochrane Street.

As we progress with the hybrid working pilot we will review the use and effectiveness of this technology and consider our requirement for the future, in the meantime be mindful about booking these rooms for essential purpose to allow everyone the opportunity to try these out.

Questions about ICT

How do I connect my new laptop in the office?

Read this guide to connect in the office. pdf icon ICT Staff Connection Guide [299kb]

Will I be prompted to change my network login password regularly?

Our password expiry function has now been re-enabled and all staff will be required to change their login password by the system, every 90 days.
Staff Guidance on how to set a strong password is available on Connect and should be followed for all council accounts.
Please get into the regular habit of locking your screen, when away from your device, by holding down CTRL, ALT , DELETE and selecting Lock.

Do I have to come into the office and network my computer once a month?

At this time, there is currently no requirement to come into the office to network any council device, this will be kept under review.

Where can I find out more about our Information Security procedures to help me stay safe online?

Visit our #Safe Glasgow - keeping our information safe section on Connect. The sections will help you to understand that the information you use as part of your day-to-day work should be protected, held securely and handled with care. It will remind you and offer top tips on how to protect your paper and electronic information when working both in and away from the office. It will help you understand how to keep personal data safe and how to report suspicious email activity or a data breach/loss.

I'm new to Teams, is there any support available?

If you are using Teams to keep in touch with colleagues we have produced a quick staff guide on some general considerations and etiquette to help you get the most from using it.

Some guides on using MS Teams are also available here.

You can also source support through Learning Pathways - an 'on-demand' learning solution designed to support usage and adoption of the M365 suite of applications. If you want to learn more about using Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, then you can do it in Learning Pathways App in Teams.

What should I do if I experience a poor connection during a MS Teams meeting?

If you have a problem with connectivity during a teams meeting or video call, then you should switch your camera off. This will allow you to continue in the meeting with the audio only. You can still present slides or share your screen if required when meeting with the camera turned off.

What should I do if I am having technical issues with MS Teams?

Please check the Microsoft handy hints guide below to see if there are any actions you can take that resolves the issue before calling the service desk.

Handy hints

If you are unable to resolve the issue you are experiencing from the handy hints file, then you can log the issue with the CGI service desk.

Can I use Whats App to keep in-touch with my team?

You should always try and use a council device and approved apps on your device for council business, for example, council email and phone for keeping in-touch with your teams.

If you have no other way of keeping in-touch then we recognise that people may choose to use Whats App on their personal devices but remember you should not use this to discuss council business.

Can I use Zoom to make video calls with my team?

MS Teams is our preferred platform however if this is not possible and there is real business reason to use zoom you can do so please read our most up to date staff guide on its use.

http://connect.glasgow.gov.uk/CHttpHandler.ashx?id=54116&p=

How do I set up a laptop or new device?

You can follow the guides and information below:

Can I print information when working from home?

If working from home, you must only print material if you absolutely have to, and if the information is sensitive, only with approval from your SAIRO. All printed material should be stored and disposed of securely. CGI are not able to provide assistance in setting up your non-council printer with a council managed device.

I have a 'Voice Activated Device' at home what should I do when in a work meeting?

Many of us have Voice Activated Smart Devices (Internet Of Things (IOT)) at home such as Amazon Echo (Alexa) and Google Home Assistant/HUB. Similarly there are mobile device voice activated assistants such as SIRI on Apple Iphone devices. To prevent privacy issues, from accidental activation of the Voice Assistant or concern that conversations could be overhead, the only way to be sure this does not happen is to mute the device microphone when conducting work calls. Refer to your device's user instructions for an explanation on how to do this.

Questions about working arrangements

How will I know if I am part of the hybrid working pilot?

If you have been working from home, either in part or full time, during the last two years, then you should be able to participate in the pilot. Each service manager will determine, in liaison with individuals and teams, the parameters and framework for the pilot in their area.

Do I need to apply to be part of the pilot?

No, your manager will speak to you and your colleagues about this next phase of piloting hybrid working and discuss what this means for your area and your job. You will be given the opportunity for discussions at team meetings, and everyone will be offered a one-to-one discussion.

How will my working pattern be agreed?

Your manager will arrange team briefings and offer you a one-to-one meeting to talk about your individual circumstances and the needs of the service and agree your working pattern which could include hybrid working arrangements, if that works for you, the team and the service.

I believe that my job can be done 100% of the time from home, Does the hybrid pilot allow me to work at home and not attend the office on a regular basis at all?

Hybrid working is a blend of home and office workplace attendance - it is not home working with irregular and infrequent attendance in the workplace. The council is committed to exploring increased flexibility for staff with a balanced hybrid model. There isn't a one size fits all solution, however, the hybrid working approach is that there will be an increase in office attendance, both in frequency and duration during the pilot.

There may be specific operational reasons for office presence in many areas, but it is also the council's position that there is real value in teams working together in the same location. Being together physically for a reasonable proportion of our time allows us to collaborate, problem solve, share knowledge and understanding, support new or less experienced colleagues, avoid staff feeling isolated and make sure that team working, and business relationships are maintained. Our aim is to find a balance of home and office working and provide staff with flexibility in that context.

There may be exceptional circumstances where staff feel they want to submit a formal work/life balance request for homeworking during the pilot period. Any requests will be considered by managers under the existing process explained below.

I have an existing work/life balance arrangement - will the pilot affect this?

Your manager will speak to you individually about existing arrangements and how these can tie in with, or may be affected by, the pilot hybrid. Any changes to formal arrangements will require to be agreed between you and your manager during the pilot period.

Can I apply for a work life balance arrangement during this pilot?

You may wish to make a request that isn't hybrid working, for example, reduced hours or job share. You still have the right to make such a request and it will be considered in line with the requirements of your service and the role you perform.

However, any arrangements agreed during the period of the pilot will be temporary and will be reviewed when the longer-term hybrid arrangements are clearer from the outcomes of the pilot. Your manager will also consider other requests and the needs of the service as well as your personal request.

When will the new working arrangements start?

Discussions with your line manager will start during March with a view to having new arrangements in place no later than 4 April 2022. These new arrangements can start now where this is locally agreed.

These arrangements will be kept under review during the pilot and are subject to any changes in service requirements and the government guidance. The pilot will run until September. During this period, there may be variations in arrangements to test different models to see what works best for you, your team and your service.

Will start and finish times be staggered?

There may be an element of flexibility around some start and finish times, subject to operational requirements and your role. In some areas, it may not be possible to vary start or finish times, depending on the requirements of the role being performed, but managers will continue to try to help you avoid peak travel times on public transport if you have concerns regarding this matter and if this is consistent with the needs of the service.

During the pandemic my working hours and demands have been more flexible, can I continue with this during the hybrid pilot?

During the pandemic there were interim arrangements in some areas which varied the normal flexitime and work demands in recognition of the exceptional circumstances including the disruption to normal caring and personal arrangements. Normal arrangements and options are back in place and your managers will support you in returning to your contracted hours and delivery levels if these have been adjusted to support you during the last two years.

Whilst hybrid working is primarily about flexibility in location, the pilot may also be an opportunity to explore whether some elements of increased time flexibility provided during the pandemic can be maintained, if they work for you and the service. Arrangements must make sure that you meet your contractual hours but local arrangements regarding flexibility in the pattern of your work may be tested during this hybrid pilot if this can meet the needs of the service. It remains highly unlikely that there will be the opportunity or need for accrual of flexi days during the pilot since there will be additional options to balance your working time.

If my circumstances change, can I change my working arrangements?

Yes, you can propose changes at any time, you'll need to discuss any changes with your line manager and explain the circumstances and your ideas on how the changes will continue to meet the needs of the service. Similarly, the needs of the service must always be kept under review and this could mean adjustments may be proposed by your manager.

I am very keen to get back to standard hours and days in the office - can this happen?

If you wish to return to full office working, then speak to your manager and arrangements will be made to accommodate this. There are no longer any government restrictions on physical distancing, therefore office capacity limits have been removed. Depending on your normal work location and the technology you use, there may require to be a lead in time for your full time return beyond 4 April.

Will I get a non-standard working payment (NSWP) if my agreed working pattern takes me outside the normal hours?

No. NSWP is only paid where the service requires those hours. If you request a pattern which would normally attract NSWP, and your manager agrees, then clearly this is something which is purely driven by your preference and NSWP will not be paid.

Are there changes to my contractual arrangements during the pilot?

No, there are no changes to contractual arrangements. The pilot of hybrid working is being rolled out on a mutually agreed basis for a temporary period and this will allow the arrangements to be tested, reviewed and adjusted whilst we learn about this new way of working.

Will you pay expenses when I'm working at home for costs like, heating and broadband?

You will be provided, or have already been provided, with all the equipment you need to work from home and in the office and where any other elements are identified from your workplace or homeworking DSE assessments then these will be provided, where possible, through discussions with your line manager. No other plans are in place for the council to pay for such costs.

How will my performance be monitored and managed during hybrid working?

Performance will need to be monitored in terms of outputs and outcomes rather than live observation or attendance. Micro-managing task has neither purpose nor benefit in any working model and a level of trust from both managers and team members is essential. Line managers should trust that team members will meet their contractual hours and work output, and team members need to recognise that their output and outcomes are a measurement of service delivery.

For hybrid working to be successful, managers will set clear expectations of staff during the period.

How will team and individual communications be managed when we are part-time home, part-time office?

Communication is more vital than ever when operating a hybrid model and there is a responsibility on everyone to play their part. A hybrid model should allow us to retain the value of face-to-face meetings, including informal and ad hoc discussions while we are in the office together, and technology tools and solutions will help us to make sure that colleagues don't miss important information when they are at home.

Everyone has a responsibility to keep themselves up to date and use the information sources available, as well as supporting colleagues by sharing information informally and formally. Your manager will also keep you informed of any additional steps or mechanisms in place locally.

What are the arrangements training and development opportunities during the hybrid pilot?

Digital options for learning and development are increasingly developing to supplement the existing suite of remote options and will include but extend far beyond the long-standing GOLD options in the council. However, there are also significant benefits, which are difficult to replicate digitally, from face to face, on the job, formal and informal human interactive learning experiences and the aim is to find opportunities for both with a balanced approach during the hybrid pilot.

Managers will be asked to consider the training and development needs of all staff when drawing up their local frameworks, particularly those who are new to the job, world of work or may need additional support from colleagues and mentors.

How will the success of the pilot be assessed?

A staff survey is planned for the summer and managers will be asked to confirm strategic and operational service delivery impact. There will also be central monitoring throughout the pilot period which will track the participation across services, including local arrangements and any issues or challenges which arise. HR, ICT, Health and Safety, Property and Facilities Management colleagues will also monitor progress from their functional perspective.

GMB, Unison and UNITE trade union liaison will also take place regularly throughout the pilot period and at the review stage.

During the pandemic my working hours and demands have been more flexible, can I continue with this during the hybrid pilot?

Q: I have a disability, and need adjustments for my work space, what support is available under the hybrid pilot?

We are keen to make hybrid working accessible to all within the scope of the pilot and will put in place all possible reasonable adjustments for both locations as appropriate. You should discuss this with your manager, how we can support you to make this happen, taking into account your individual circumstances.

You will also find information in this guide to managing diversity in the workplace.

Is it possible to work from home in a location which is outside a daily commute distance from the office?

This will depend on your local framework and your specific role and should be discussed with your manager. It is not likely that this will be a regular facility, but it could be accommodated in exceptional circumstances. Considerations for any such arrangement will include, for example:

The need for you to be able to respond to short notice location change to meet service needs, for example, to provide team cover. Any arrangements must be fair to all members in your team and if your ability to respond to short notice changes is limited then it could risk other team members being called upon to respond more often to these requirements
You would also require to carry out appropriate DSE risk assessment for all regular locations you work from and the council would not envisage supporting equipment across three locations.

So, whilst not discounting the possibility of this occurring, it is likely to be on an exceptional basis, for a finite period. Even in these exceptional cases, any solution must be suitable not only for yourself but also other team members, your manager and the service.

Can I carry out my periods of home working from a location outside the UK?

In all instances, this scenario will not fall into the remit of being within a daily commutable distance from the office, and therefore the considerations and disadvantages will be similar to the above response.

There can be unique and specific roles where the availability of skill sets may require the appointment of individuals who work outside the boundaries of a daily commute. Such situations are likely to occur at the time of initial employment and are not considered as being driven by the hybrid working pilot.

Now that we have a level of home working, can I add my working from home days to my holiday location?

If your holiday location is outside a daily commutable distance, then the considerations and disadvantages will be like the above scenarios. It might also be reasonably assumed that there could be some additional disturbance and distraction for you if you are attempting to work from your holiday location either before the start of your leave or at the end.

For exceptional circumstances, you should discuss your request with your manager and must have this agreement prior to making any arrangements.

Hybrid working pilot - Survey highlights

The latest survey ran for five weeks and 3,710 staff responded. This is an increase of 849 respondents from the previous survey that ran in 2021.

We have around 10,500 staff using laptops which gives us a response of around 35% for this survey. This is representative of the views of the office workforce.

You can read a summary of the results below.

Next steps

Following extensive research with managers and staff, what stands out is that more flexibility in the way we work is maintaining service delivery and benefitting our personal lives - overwhelmingly staff working in a hybrid way are happier and just as productive.

We can now conclude that the hybrid working pilot has been a success and this way of working will continue for the foreseeable future.

There's a lot of feedback to consider and this will be fed into the teams responsible for hybrid working and making best use of our office space.

What you told us

77% of respondents said they were taking part in the hybrid pilot.
70% of managers surveyed said that their team was taking part in the hybrid working pilot.
91% of respondents felt that they can separate their personal and professional lives working in a hybrid way, to support their wellbeing.
When working from home, 98% said that they have a space where they can work confidentially when they need to.
83% of respondents said they felt safe attending the workplace during the pilot.
The largest reason for coming into the workplace is to work collaboratively with colleagues face-to-face (60%), with the second largest being for in-person meetings (53%).
85% of employees said that because of the hybrid working pilot the level of trust between them and their team has either improved (34%) or stayed the same (51%).
83% of employees felt either very satisfied (47%) or fairly (36%) satisfied with their current hybrid working arrangements.
Of those that did take part, 91% engaged with their team members prior to the pilots launch to provide the appropriate employee support.
Overall, 91% of managers stated that service delivery needs have been met since the hybrid working pilot was introduced.
Only 4% of managers reported a view that service delivery was not being met with the pilot. This is consistent with the responses from employees who have themselves felt that they are just as productive and are delivering the desired service outputs with hybrid working pilot.
92% of managers said that the level of trust has either improved (44%) or stayed the same (48%) because of the hybrid working. This is consistent with the employee view, as 93% of employees felt the hybrid pilot had also improved trust between them and their team.

You can read the previous survey results here.

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