The following details have been supplied by the PCS DWP Group:
Proposed DWP Flexible Working Hours Agreement
Proposed Agreement for DWP
PCS DWP Group advised Branches of the publication of the proposed new DWP Flexible Working Hours Policy (FWH) Framework on the Employee Deal Intranet site on 1st July 2016.
These documents became the DWP Policy Framework from 29th August 2016.
The original intention was then for the Employee Deal Collective Agreement and the New DWP FWH Policy Framework to be the basis for the review of existing flexi-time agreements and arrangements on a Directorate by Directorate basis with PCS starting in August 2016.
Further discussions with DWP have subsequently concluded with a single Proposed DWP Flexible Working Hours Agreement (FWHA).
This Proposed Agreement has been published on the Employee Deal Intranet site on 3rd October 2016 together with an Implementation Timetable.
The PCS DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) will consider the Proposed DWP Flexible Working Hours Agreement (FWHA) at its meeting on 19/20 October 2016.
If members reading the following details wish to make any comments/ feedback on the this article please e-mail them to the Branch e-mail address.
Key issues for Agreement
Key issues for establishing a FWHA for DWP which will be considered by the PCS DWP GEC will include:
- Formal Breaks in Working Time – In addition to any daily meal break, all DWP employees will have the opportunity to take reasonable breaks in normal, paid working time to help them maintain their health, safety and well-being. The terms of the Benefits Directorate FWH Agreement have been improved and extended to cover all employees in Operations, Debt Management and the Payment Resolution Service (FWHA Procedure 10). The DWP Breaks Policy will be amended for consistency with the FWHA.
- Personal business – Best practice for medical appointments have been extended to all DWP staff on the basis that: Employees should always try to make medical appointments, including dental appointments, outside of working hours but this is not always possible. If an appointment has to be in working hours, managers should allow a flexi credit (FWHA Procedure 8). Special Leave Procedure will be amended for consistency with the FWHA.
- Training credits – The Proposed DWP Agreement incorporates best practice to support employees who need to focus on their classroom training event without the distraction of normal day to day business. Such training events cover most of the working day but do not normally last for the full working day. On such occasions a full day’s flexi credit shall be awarded for the employee’s normal contracted hours. Part time employees may also opt for their pay to be adjusted accordingly. An employee working compressed hours will be awarded a credit equivalent to their compressed hours for that day.
- Standardisation of carry-over limits – The Proposed DWP Agreement introduces standard limits for carry-over rather than the range of 1.5 – 4 days under current DWP FWH Policy. The proposed standard limits are for a Credit Carry over of up to 4 days at the end of each 4 week accounting period and up to 3 days for a Deficit Carry over. These will be pro-rata for part-time employees (FWHA Procedures 5 and 6). Credit or deficit carry-over levels must be within the new standard limits by 6 February 2017.
- Monthly flexi leave – Employees may take a maximum of 3 days flexi leave in any one 4-week accounting period. Pro-rata flexi leave will be permitted for part-time employees. Line manager consent to take half or full days of flexi leave will be applied for in the same way as with requests for half or full days of annual leave (FWHA Procedure 9).
- Flexible working period & Operating Hours – Employees may attend during the flexible working period providing there is work that is required to be done and the timing is the most productive for that work. Other than in ad hoc cases agreed with the manager, flexi time can be accrued from 08:00 (or from 07:30 for those with a 08:00 fixed start). An exception to the above is colleagues who have opted out of the 2016 Employee Deal contractual changes and have a legacy contract which explicitly states a commencement time before 7:30. Flexi-time may also be accrued after a fixed finish time when there is work to be done (FWHA Procedures 2(c) & 4)
- Assumed consent – Where employees guarantee their attendance at certain times by fixing either their start or finish time, that will generate adequate resources to meet customer demand at those times. The flexi arrangements above should also ensure that consent to vary times of attendance at the opposite, non-fixed end of the day will be assumed, with line managers only overriding this assumption exceptionally (FWHA Procedure 2(i)).
Consultation and implementation process
The PCS DWP Group Executive Committee (GEC) will consider the Proposed DWP Flexible Working Hours Agreement (FWHA) at its meeting on 19/20 October 2016.
The proposed FWHA implementation process is related to the introduction of new working pattern procedures.
The Implementation Timetable published on the DWP Employee Deal Intranet site outlines a two stage process:
- Stage 1 – those aspects which are mandatory from 1 November 2016, including the new Breaks Procedure, aligned to the commencement of the 3-months’ notice period for working patterns;
- Stage 2 – those aspects which are mandatory from 6 February 2017, aligned to implementation of new working patterns. FWH credit or deficit carry-over levels must be within the new standard limits by 6 February 2017.
The Proposed FWHA may be subjected to further amendments as necessary to take account of feedback, or ensure clarity and consistency with the Collective Agreement, before implementation.
PCS Fylde 