Subject to approval by Bridgend Council’s Cabinet, council employees will be allowed to choose whether to work in the office or elsewhere as standard (pdf).
Hybrid working was introduced during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an official interim policy put in place in October 2022.
This policy will apply to all council employees except those working in schools.
A hybrid/distant attendance policy is already in place for councillors, with the policy being updated at November 2023’s full council meeting.
“Positive feedback”
The report says feedback from staff on hybrid working was “positive” with 72% of those asked being satisfied with the policy. 70% believed hybrid working and flexitime allowed them to achieve a “good work-life balance”.
After further discussions with trade unions, the interim policy from October 2022 will become permanent.
The policy outlines the requirements for staff taking part – full details of which are in the report.
These include the conditions for staff to be required to attend work in person, contractual obligations, conditions of use for IT and video conferencing equipment/software and checking whether home-working is covered by home insurance or rental agreements.
