Agenda item

Invitee:

Rhys Cornwall, Head of People and Business Change

The Head of People and Business Change presented the report regarding responding to the new normal. There has been a large change in the way we operate as an organisation. Service delivery has still continued in many ways, for example, schools have been open for a variety of purposes. We have also shown that we have been able to continue service provision whilst working remotely. The purpose of bringing this to scrutiny is to begin the conversation about what will take place over the coming months. It was mentioned that it is unlikely we will return to new normal for another few months still. We need to determine what normality will look like and feel like as an organisation. The plan is to bring this to Cabinet over next 3 to 6 months to consider what our new model is going to look like.

Within a few days at the end of March, there were approximately 1200 employees working from home. Most council staff had laptops already and Office 365 had already been implemented. Microsoft Teams also came into use and Net Motion facilitated mobility of networks for remote working. We were already in a reasonably good position to be able to do remote working. I could be considered why we hadn’t done more remote working before? Staff have been provided with work-from-home equipment to ensure they can work from home safely and effectively. We still have some staff working in the Civic Centre for essential services, but the fewer people the better. There have also had to be some changes to policy, for example the suspension of flexi-time, which has resulted in paying people overtime instead. It is also important to consider the impact on carbon reduction- the mileage claimed for journeys has been significantly reduced. Parking and congestion has also been better around the city.

There has also been an impact on recruitment- there are challenges associated with bringing people on board, leading them, training them, and informing them of organisational culture. However, this type of home working does appeal to people who may find this arrangement more attractive for personal reasons. Home working has provided opportunities to do things differently, for example promoting a better work-life balance. Being able to work in a more flexible way is useful. One of the key challenges is staff and member wellbeing. Coming into the workplace and being with colleagues brings a huge advantage, due to the social element, as well as having support for work-related issues. The need to support wellbeing is paramount.

As a council, we additionally have a wider obligation to the city of Newport- we want the centre to be thriving, we want people to be there. There is a potential impact on less of the workforce coming into the civic centre, therefore utilising the city centre and high street less. We will need to consider a flexible model upon returning to the new normal. This increased flexibility equally applies to members, for example, the Local Government Elections Act (2021) supports the possibility of ‘hybrid’ meetings.

The Head of Business and Business Change then advised that included in the paperwork is also a report from University of Southampton, of which the conclusions are on page 84. Newport City Council was one of the councils who participated in this report.

The Members asked and discussed the following:

·         Members commented that this is an excellent report and very comprehensive in its coverage of different aspects of the issue. It is noted that there have been some real positives coming from these circumstances. It is important to ensure that we are considering everyone, people who prefer working from home and those who do not like it. If we are moving to agile working, will staff need new contracts?

The Head of People and Business Change replied agreeing that home working does not suit everyone, therefore the ‘hybrid’ model is preferred. He commented that he would not advocate that people work from home all the time. With regards to contracts, The Head of People and Business Change commented that these are fairly flexible as they are already. We would need to get further along with the process before knowing how contracts may need to change.

·         Members asked if there would be a training need for managers to deal with home working and in person meeting?

The Head of People and Business Change replied that guidance has been sent out to managers surrounding having informal meetings, discipline to working and stopping/resting etc.

·         Members further conveyed their positive response to this report. Remarks were made that this is not just a council issue but a life issue. There is a real positive of driving fewer miles, with less money being spent on petrol. Also, less resources spent on heating and lighting workplaces. However, Members wished to raise issues and commented that we are social beings, we enjoy to have breaks and lunches together. Also, people go from the civic into the centre, which provides local business. We no longer have a bustling high street and can’t ignore the wider damage to society as a whole. Further comment was made that the hybrid model seems to be the best approach to take. Particularly considering new employees, they will need to utilise the hybrid model for their induction.

·         Members also commented that staff wellbeing and guidance on boundaries is very important. Cost for staff is also important- e.g. the cost of working from home. This does however offer a real opportunity of reduced carbon footprint. It is important to now record active travel mileage and reward active travel mileage. Survey the barriers to active travel amongst our staff. How could we utilise the underspend (on travel) to maximise active travel opportunities?

·         Members commented that there is a danger that the benefits sound exciting at the beginning of the process, but we lose sight of the positives of office working. This highlights the real need for incredible management of people. We have a high turnover of management staff, there is a danger here at a time when we most need excellent managers. It is also important to consider the impact for the city centre. In many ways, this has pushed HR forwards 5 years by promoting flexible working. Will these short-term gains materialise into long term gains?

The Head of People and Business Change replied to say that the Civic Centre was designed for a world that doe not exist anymore. We were still only using a fraction of that building (before the pandemic). That building is important, as it is iconic in Newport. We need to find out how can we bring other organisations into the civic centre and make the most of this building. The Head of People and Business Change also commented that the biggest issue with technology is the struggle with broadband in the home. A member commented that in their previous experience working for a charity, a 3-2 balance of working from home and in the office worked well.

·         Members particularly highlighted the saving of 235,000 miles from April-August. The Head of People and Business Change remarked that we already have a fairly low staff mileage. Also important to consider how many of those remote meetings and interactions would have been much better if they could have been face to face.

Members also referred to the feeling of isolation. Important to take the mental health of staff into account. Very important to consider the wellbeing of the individual.

The Head of People and Business Change replied that there are series of packages available for people’s wellbeing. People like a segregation between work and home life.

·         Members also raised the issue of hybrid meetings. Concerns were raised about dehumanisation of the council and meetings. We have to recognise that remote working has provided a different kind of service to normal- it has not been business as usual. Lack of contact is a much bigger problem, particularly for vulnerable residents. Need to be aware that monetising the cost-benefit of various aspects of home working, e.g. carbon footprint, may not be a true representation of the benefits. For example, people are actually using a lot more heating and electricity in their own homes and this may be less efficient than the workplace.

The Head of People and Business Change replied wanting to assure members this report was not made primarily to show the financial benefit. The Head of People and Business Change remarked upon the need to remember that what we’re considering is the Civic Centre is not a very energy efficient building (1930s build). Plans to move parts of civic to more purpose-built accommodation which will be an energy saving.

·         Members remarked that there has been a lot of goodwill regarding working from home, and we want to ensure we don’t exploit it. Can we consider how we help people working from home, with an allowance for home Wi-Fi, desk set-up etc.

A member replied to say that there is a balancing out of cost, as we save money on petrol, although our home expenses are higher

·         The Head of People and Business Change recognises this is a very complicated issue. There are positives and negatives across the board of working from home. Attempting to balance all these concerns going forward. Need to ensure that whatever plan we proceed with there is a reasonable allowance for these arrangements.

·         Members commented on the impact of apprentices and trainees, there is a significant disadvantage to trying to learn from colleagues in this remote way. Also commented regarding the Information Station, this is closed and could be opened for vulnerable people.

The Head of People and Business Change replied saying that in considering the hybrid model, efforts would be focussed onto those most important face to face services. We also need to consider how we can use the Civic Centre to its best extent  The Head of People and Business Change remarked that staff development is a very important aspect of this plan. When you start somewhere you pick up so much about how an organisation works, it is very hard to do this without being in an environment with lots of people

·         Members used the example of the Open University who have utilised the working from home balance for a long time. They use appointed paid mentors to help people learn what they need to and act as someone you can go to. It is also important to raise the point that home working under lockdown is very different to home working when in more normal circumstances.

The Head of People and Business Change commented that he found it easier to cope with home working during summer when restrictions were less. It is worst at the moment because lockdown restrictions are harsh and the weather has been very bad.

·         Members enquired where we go from here and what are the next steps for this plan?

The Head of People and Business Change replied that we need to consider how we progress. Dependent on circumstances of each local authority. There will be a report for cabinet in next 3-6 months regarding the steps forward.

·         Members asked for an options paper to allow some focus on the debate.

The Head of People and Business Change replied saying we need to speak to staff about detail of what they want.

The Chair thanked the officer for attending.

Comments and conclusions

·         The Committee welcomed the report and praised the detail and positivity contained within.

·         The Committee discussed Active Travel, and queried if we can measure and survey the number of active travel miles that staff undertake, and also look into the possibility of rewarding staff for taking part. Comment was also made if we could look into any kind of barriers that this may cause.

·         The Committee requested that once the service area develop the conversational document into an options paper, it comes back to the Committee to consult, before it goes to Cabinet.