Workstyles

1. Introduction

1.1. North Ayrshire Council has four workstyles:

1. In Building
2. Mobile
3. Agile
4. Home

1.2. The workstyle identifies how a role within the council is carried out in a practical locational sense. Each post within the council is allocated a specific workstyle to accommodate the service provided, for example, an Early Years Practitioner would be ‘in building’ to reflect that the work is to care for children within a nursery setting and a Care At Home Assistant would be allocated ‘mobile’ to account for the requirement to meet Service User needs in their homes.

1.3. The allocation of ‘agile’ is a hybrid style of working between office and home. This style of working recognises the need to create a modern and digital future for the workplace by balancing the requirement to maintain quality customer service whilst promoting opportunities for remote working which can also support service delivery.

1.4. For the avoidance of doubt, ‘home’ must be a UK location. The council does not permit working from abroad; any home-based working should take place within the UK. Working outside the UK and accessing our systems is deemed as a material risk for the council and is not covered by our insurance. In addition, the council would require individuals to be assessed for tax purposes should they work outside the UK for a period of time, as this would incur an additional cost to this council this would not be supported. To ensure the council is protected, working abroad is not permitted.

1.5. North Ayrshire Council supports a flexible and skilled workforce by allocating a workstyle to identify how and where employees carry out their work, enabling them to maximise their productivity and performance, whilst embracing the changes that have evolved around the ways we are working. Employees health and wellbeing will continue to be at the forefront of our working policies and practices.

1.6. This guidance has been developed to provide a consistent framework to enable employees to work in different ways effectively and safely.

2. Aims and Scope

2.1. With advances in technology, there are numerous tools available to help employees work in new and different ways, to meet customer needs, reduce costs, increase productivity, and improve work life balance.

2.2. North Ayrshire Council believes that service provision can be enhanced by enabling some employees to work in a different way which could also assist in achieving a better balance of home and work life. Alternative working arrangements can also enhance efficiency of service delivery.

2.3. The HR Guide seeks to specifically define agile working with guidance on how to adapt and thrive in this style of working environment. It will also cover how to work effectively as an agile worker, how this workstyle aligns with roles, responsibilities and terms and conditions of employment.

2.4. The allocation of Workstyles:

• allows the council to be more efficient through better use of employee resources.
• improves the recruitment and retention of skilled and experienced employees by offering a range of workstyles to match individual work preferences.
• reduces unnecessary travel time, which increases productivity, allowing us to provide improved services to our customers.
• creates an environment which allows employees to achieve an improved work-life balance, greater job satisfaction, motivation, morale and productivity.
• results in reduced costs through reduced travel and expense claims.
• lowers our carbon footprint, through reduced emissions from reduced travel to support our Sustainable North Ayrshire Strategy.

2.5. For employees, flexibility in ways of working can:

• provide an opportunity to manage their working day more efficiently
• enable them to work more effectively on a particular piece of work, where concentration is important, by avoiding the interruptions that can be part of the office environment
• reduce the time spent travelling to a specific base.

2.6. All posts within North Ayrshire Council will be designated a particular Workstyle. This guide therefore only applies to all employees directly employed by the council. It does not apply to workers, contractors or any self-employed individuals working for the council. This HR Guide does not form part of a contract of employment, and the council reserves the right to amend this guidance at any time.

3. Definitions

3.1. As noted in the introduction, North Ayrshire Council has four different Workstyles. Each post in the council can be attributed to one of these styles:

• In Building: more than 90% of time spent primarily at a single base or location. There may be some limited opportunity to work from home.
• Mobile: more than 90% of time spent primarily working on a mobile basis across multiple council facilities and out in the community. There may be some limited opportunity to work from home.
• Agile: 100 of time spent working agile (flexibly) and interacting with others. Able to work at home, office or multiple locations. The council expects most employees to spend approximately 40 of their working time at the workplace/office, however the number of days per week each employee spends attending the workplace/office compared with working remotely will vary depending on: their individual circumstances, the nature of their role, what is happening within their role and team at any particular time; and the needs of the Service, including the space available at work locations.
• Home: more than 90% of time working at home, with the requirement to attend council locations as the role requires.

4. Change of Workstyle

4.1. Should an employee wish to be considered for an alternative Workstyle from the one allocated to their post they should refer to the Work Life Balance Policy and complete the Work Life Balance request form which can be found on Connects and submit to their line manager.

4.2. If an employee wishes to work at a set location/or on a particular day/time each week they would need to apply via the council’s Work Life Balance Policy, as this would be considered a fundamental change to the contract of employment. For example, if an employee wanted to work from home every Monday, this would need to be agreed through the Work Life Balance Policy. Employees should informally discuss the details of their request with their line manager to decide whether a formal Work Life Balance application is required.

4.3. Where an employee’s post is attributed as ‘agile’, the employee can work from the office at any time. If, therefore, as a preference, the employee wants to work from the office for all of their working hours then it is completely acceptable for the employee to do this. As it is the post that is attributed as ‘agile’, it should be noted that a manager is unlikely to agree to change the post to ‘in-building’ under a work-life balance application unless this became an operational requirement of the post.

4.4. As noted in the introduction, the council does not allow working from abroad; any home-based working should take place within the UK.

5. Management and Supervision

5.1. To ensure the team thrive in an agile or home working environment, managers must focus on clear communication by setting expectations, establishing transparent workflows or processes, and using shared communication tools, while prioritising flexibility and work-life balance by setting boundaries and focusing on results over hours. Embrace technology for remote collaboration, foster a cohesive culture through inclusive meetings and informal connections, and maintain accountability with clear goals and performance measures linked to the council, Directorate and Operational plans.

5.2. Allocated Workstyles must not affect the provision of services and therefore managers must ensure that they have systems in place to maintain suitable office presence, if required. It should also be noted, that results from a workforce survey on agile working provided a response predominantly in favour of agile working and therefore it is important to maintain a balanced approach and monitor the situation.

5.3. Generally staff will be expected to manage their own diaries in line with service requirements, for example to come into office to attend face to face meetings or to provide office cover. There may, however, be occasions where an employee’s manager may request that they return to the office to work instead of working from another location. As noted above, if an employee wishes to work from an alternative location on a regular/set basis they would need to apply for this through the Work Life Balance Policy.

5.4. It is important that employees and managers agree a process for keeping each other up to date with work location and work undertaken outside of the employee’s normal workplace. This can be done in many ways, such as sharing a spreadsheet where team members provide details on anticipated work location at least a week in advance or adding the days the employee is in the office to their shared calendar. This will ensure any required workplace/office cover is in place and that staff are supported with colleagues where appropriate. Regular one to one meetings with staff ensure that managers are able to direct work accordingly and review progress.

5.5. Employees may be required to attend council buildings as requested by their manager for team meetings, training and development or other such event as instructed. Similarly, there may be circumstances in which your line manager may ask you to work remotely, or to work from another location as reasonably required, for instance, for operational needs or if there are too many employees attending the workplace/office on specific days.

5.6. Some Workstyles will result in little or no direct supervision of work, and it is important that employees are aware of their managers expectations and feel supported. This is contingent on a high level of trust and confidence between the line manager and the employee and can be achieved by keeping lines of communication open, checking in with staff regularly and remaining accessible. ‘Leadership in an Agile Workforce’ provides useful information on managing our Workstyles and is available as an e-learning module that is hosted on our iLearn platform, more details can be found on the Leadership Academy SharePoint.

5.7. Local arrangements must be put in place to monitor work output and performance including effective workplace communication and support. If there are concerns about an individual’s work performance, then this may lead to a review of that individual’s Workstyle.

5.8. Both parties must recognise that the success of any arrangement will depend on this collaborative constructive relationship being in place and requires a different approach to managing the team

5.9. The line manager must establish clear arrangements for managing their teams including:

• setting out what is expected in relation to workload, deadlines and monitoring delivery
• fostering good working relationships that builds trust and enhances collaboration
• effective use of Microsoft applications, including MS Teams to work effectively together and to remain visible, use the status function to show availability and to encourage your teams to communicate with each other using the chat function.
• schedule time to check in with your team and prioritise this time so that they feel supported and engaged.

5.10. All employees are responsible for, and required to record hours worked via timesheets, electronic diaries, Kelio and other formal means as instructed by their line manager.

6. Working from Home

6.1. All Workstyles (albeit In-Building and Mobile posts are predominantly excluded from working from home) may be afford an opportunity for the employee to work from home at some point.

6.2. If an employee wishes to work from home, either on a regular or ad-hoc basis, then they must take responsibility for their own health, safety and wellbeing. An appropriate home office set up, which allows them to work comfortably, must be in place. Workplace Safety guidance can be found on the Health and Safety page on Connects.

6.3 Working Hours

6.3.1. While working remotely you must ensure you work the weekly hours of work, as set out in your contract of employment, albeit there may be some flexibility in your availability, this must be managed in conjunction with your manager and will be monitored. The Flexible Working Hours Scheme may be used to offer a bandwidth between 7.30am to 7pm Monday to Friday where you may be permitted to work.

6.3.2. We ask you to be mindful that you are not overworking, "downtime" from work is essential. To help maintain your wellbeing, please make sure that you take adequate rest breaks:

• Take at least 30 minutes off for lunch each day – remember if participating in the Flexible Working Hours Scheme, the clocking system automatically deducts this from your working hours.
• Even if you are busy, it is essential that you find the time to take a break of at least 20 minutes during each working day that lasts more than six hours.
• Ensure the time period between stopping work one day and beginning the next is not less than 11 hours.

6.3.3. Please be as clear as possible with your line manager about your hours of work for days on which you are working remotely or at home. Making use of tools such as shared calendars and showing your status on MS Teams can help colleagues to be aware of your availability on these days and if you are absent from work then use automatic replies to say who to contact if you are not available.

6.4 Sickness

6.4.1. If you are sick and unable to work, then you should follow the absence notification procedures available in either your employment contract or in the Terms and Conditions of Employment available on Connects or the council’s website.

6.5 Childcare

6.5.1. When working from home you are expected to have childcare arrangements in place to enable you to fulfil all the duties and responsibilities of your role. In addition to this, you must be available to attend the office at short notice should your manager request this.

6.5.2. You must inform your line manager about your childcare responsibilities. Any arrangements for caring for your child while working must be agreed with your line manager to avoid breaching your employment contract.

6.5.3. There are other policies and processes available such as the Flexible Working Scheme, Special Leave and Work Life Balance that are available should you require to adapt your work schedule and priorities accordingly.

6.5.4. It is important to note that line managers need to be mindful of the risk of discrimination. Refusal to provide agile working when an employee has been allocated this workstyle can be indirectly discriminatory on the ground of sex because of the fact that more women than men have the primary responsibility for childcare.

6.6 Reasonable Adjustments

6.6.1. North Ayrshire Council has a duty to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees. In the context of agile working, potential adjustments could include:

• allowing the employee to work from home more frequently, even if their colleagues are generally expected to split more of their time between attending the workplace and remote working or
• splitting their time between attending the workplace and remote working, even if agile working is not generally available to their colleagues and they have been allocated a different workstyle.

6.6.2 Consideration needs to be given as to what work could effectively be undertaken in the time allocated at home. If it is a frontline role where there is little of the role that can be undertaken from home, then there is no requirement to create a job or role that is additional or separate from what is required for the post the employee is employed to undertake.

6.7 Financial Support

6.7.1. Claiming tax relief for working from home is subject to HMRC rules. It is your responsibility to ensure you meet the rules before making any claim. Please see the HMRC website for guidance.

6.7.2. There is no change to the normal process of claiming travel expenses as per the Terms and Conditions of Employment. Employees should continue to check with their line manager of the requirement to make the journey and fill in their actual work base on the form. Where the claim requires the employee to complete details of the journey which would include a return trip from home, then it will be important to ensure that the claim only covers the mileage from the work base to the required work location as normal commuting mileage to base location will always be deducted. Where possible, meetings should be held online to avoid unnecessary expenses.

6.7.3. Where an employee is entitled to excess travel expenses, entitlement will depend on the frequency of the requirement to attend the work or office location, this is anticipated to be two days per week for a full-time employee.

6.7.4. Employees are responsible for advising their mortgage lender or landlord and home insurance provider that they work from home as the council accept no liability for any incident that occurs as a result of working from home.

6.7.5. If an employee is a resident of North Ayrshire and they require help with the cost of living, then support, further information and links to organisations who can assist can be found on the North Ayrshire Council website: Help with the cost of living.

7. Health and Safety Implications

7.1. Employees have a responsibility on a day-to-day basis for their own and others health and safety while they are carrying out work activities regardless of the work location. Any work should always be in accordance with the council’s Health & Safety Policy.

7.2. Most employees at council locations and the home environment will generally be low-risk office type work but employees should make sure they abide by our Health and Safety Policies. Where employees use other council locations to work, they should familiarise themselves with the local arrangements for managing health and safety and ensure that they always exercise reasonable care for their own health and safety and that of others.

7.3. Employees should also ensure that they are aware of the fire safety arrangements at other work locations to ensure that they are fully conversant with the actions to be taken in the event of discovering a fire or on hearing the fire alarm signal and ensure that where there may be local arrangements for signing in/out that they adhere to these arrangements.

7.4. The main risks to health and safety will be related to computer use and where this exceeds one hour per day at home or at an alternative council work location, then employees will require to complete the ‘Display Screen Equipment’ elearning module available via iLearn to ensure they are aware of the risks to health from computer work and that they have the necessary training to reduce those risks. In addition, staff will also be required to complete a display screen equipment risk assessment for their home/other council location workstation.

7.5. The completed Display Screen Risk Assessment must be passed to the relevant line manager and any issues identified should, in the first instance, be actioned by the line manager.

7.6. Where a Workstyle involves the use of council or privately owned motor vehicles used on official council business, then the council’s Driving at Work guidance should be consulted by the line manager and the general risk assessment must reflect any use of vehicles for work. Similarly, any instances of lone working must also be reflected in the general risk assessment. For further information and guidance on lone working refer to the council’s Lone Working Guidance on Connects.

7.7. In the event of any work-related incidents, injury, illness or near miss, then council employees have a duty to report these in accordance with the council’s Health and Safety Policy. Guidance in relation to reporting is available on the Management of Work Related Incidents page on Connects, where details on how to report an incident can be found. Employees who have any concerns relating to any health and safety aspect of their work they must raise this without delay with their line manager.

7.8. There may be potential issues in a domestic setting where working from home is not safe for an employee, the line manager should be contacted in the first instance to discuss any concerns. If the employee is at risk of domestic abuse or violence, they could contact the Gender Based Violence Adviser by email on gbvsupport@north-ayrshire.gov.uk. The Domestic Abuse Policy and Procedure contains information on further support agencies.

8. IT and Equipment

8.1. The manager, in consultation with the employee, will be responsible for determining the equipment that is required to support the designated Workstyle. Equipment allocated to an employee should be recorded on the Team/Service inventory. Employees are expected to look after any equipment allocated to them. Any additional IT equipment required should be purchased via IT and paid for by the employing service.

8.2. If there is an issue with hardware or connectivity, employees are expected to ensure that the matter is escalated to IT via the IT Customer Portal in the first instance to resolve the matter and keep their line manager advised. Where the issue is ongoing the line manager should consider whether the employee attending the workplace would enable the employee to carry out their work until the fault is resolved.

8.3. Employees who access their email while at home should note that they are only obliged to respond to work emails within their normal working hours and should not feel pressured to respond outside of these times.

8.4. As a reminder, all home-based working must take place within the UK. The council has blocked all user logins to Microsoft 365 services from outside the UK. This measure has been introduced to strengthen the council’s cyber security posture by reducing exposure to malicious overseas activity. This aligns with the council’s position that working from abroad is not permitted as this is a risk to the council.

8.5. Hybrid meeting rooms are available to help facilitate collaboration when some people are physically together in the office and others are working at home. Available meeting rooms can be booked by using the ‘room finder’ button when setting up a meeting via MS Teams.

8.6. Home printing is not permitted. Employees are not permitted to connect council devices to home resources such as printers or network storage devices. Should there be a requirement to print, then this should be done when in the office or work location with a printer.

8.7. Any electrical equipment issued to employees to enable them to work from home should be PAT tested for safety. There should be a label attached indicating the date on which it was tested and when a test is next due. Should you need further information please speak to a Health and Safety Adviser.

9. Data Security

9.1. All the council’s policies and procedures relating to Data Protection, Security and Confidentiality apply when employees are working from any location.

9.2. North Ayrshire Council provides employees with access to the personal and confidential information they need to do their job. This information must not be disclosed to others who are not authorised to see it.

9.3. In general, employees must ensure that; North Ayrshire Council advocates a paperless environment wherever possible, when this cannot be avoided:

• printouts or documents containing personal or other confidential data are not displayed where they can be seen by unauthorised persons.
• confidential documents which are no longer required MUST be returned to the main office for appropriate confidential disposal.
• when not in use any print outs or documents are locked away in a secure container.
• no work-related emails or sensitive data is sent to their home email addresses.
• no information is stored on their personal computer.
• any loss of equipment or information is reported immediately to the employee’s line manager.

9.4. When transporting equipment or files these should not be left unattended in any location out with secure council offices and never left in plain sight (for example in unsecured office areas, cars, public areas). Where available, employees should use a locked box/case for transporting information.

9.5. Where an employee is working from home, they should use the same principles which would apply in a public area when viewing and storing documents. Any confidential information should not be visible to other people who may live in the home.

9.6. All of the relevant policies are available on Connects, for example ICT Acceptable Use Policy, Information Classification Guidance, and Information Security Management Policy.

9.7. Should an employee be required to report a data security incident, they should inform their line manager in the first instance and then contact the council’s ICT Cyber Security Officer: How to report a cyber security incident. There is also a further document to support Corporate Data Breach Reporting and Management Procedures.

10. Working from council premises

10.1. Employees should ensure that they respect any premises where they are a visitor and are considerate of other users.

10.2. Some Workstyles may incorporate the concept of desk sharing or ‘hot desks’ which is where office space has allocated desks specifically available for those with an agile or whom have come in from a home working workstyle. There will also be employees who do not have their own desk and therefore share desks with their colleagues within dedicated zones. If you do share a desk, or use another desk which is not your own, it is important that clear and clean desk principles are followed.

10.3. Hot desk space is available in various buildings throughout the council. Council buildings that have corporate network connectivity will allow employees to use their council laptop as normal.

10.4. Adopting clear desk principles will ensure that employees feel more comfortable working from a desk that has not been personalised. When an employee vacates a desk to enable usage by another member of staff, they must leave this clear of materials other that the standard desk equipment provided by the Council and that they must have cleaned the desk to ensure it is ready for the next user.

11. Review of Workstyles

11.1. The council will keep all Workstyle arrangements under review and, except for any trial period, will reserve the right to end the arrangement with reasonable notice and following consultation with the postholder.

11.2. Where there is a change in the employee’s personal circumstances in respect of their Workstyle arrangement, then in the first instance the employee should discuss this with their line manager. If the employee wishes to be considered for an alternative Workstyle this should be requested through the process outlined in the Work Life Balance Policy and Procedure.