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The future of the public affairs workplace for WalesContextMajor events can accelerate change. What had previously been a gradual shift away from 9-5 weekdays in the office has sped up beyond recognition during the COVID-19 pandemic. As lockdown restrictions ease, there are decisions to be taken about how this rapid change for traditionally office-based workers will evolve into a sustainable arrangement for both employer and employee. It is acknowledged that home or remote working is not plausible for all, but an assumption has been taken that for many in the public affairs industry in Wales it is a credible option.Positive experience of home-workingWorking from home has not seen a drop off in productivity which some bosses may have feared. Indeed, in some instances productivity has been reported to be higher than an office-based environment. This is even accounting for the competing needs of parents who had to balance childcare, home-schooling and workload over the lockdown period. The hours that were spent on the day job at the start of the pandemic may have been previously regarded as unorthodox, but there was no indication of a reduction in output. In a more settled system of a home-based office, it is likely that the working day will revert to a schedule which would be more recognisable to Dolly Parton, but still with a greater flexibility in balancing life and work commitments.The advantages for employees have included time and financial savings by not having to commute and often greater control over how they spread their working time over the day. In addition, while both children and pets can bring their own demands, many will have welcomed the opportunity to maintain connection during the day. The occasional appearance of a toddler or cat on screen during a video call has also helped staff to get to know one another at a more emotional level. Finally, with less car travel pollution levels have dropped, offering cleaner air, especially in normally congested cities.Challenges of home-workingMaintaining a team atmosphere and connection with colleagues has been difficult during a year of home-working. Although, in some instances a meeting by video conference has allowed parity for those who worked in small offices and previously were the only ones calling into a meeting where their head office was sat around a boardroom table. This has, for example, allowed small Welsh divisions of London-based organisations to feel greater connection with their colleagues than might have been the case prior to the pandemic.The employee experience will have varied depending on the nature of their job and how well equipped their home was to be a place for work. The wellbeing of staff in an office requires considerably more care than simply access to a computer and a power point, and employers should have taken into consideration the health and ergonomic needs of their staff when they switched to a work at home environment. Without the clear start and end of the day routine, there has been the risk that employees will not suitably switch off from working mode. Though it is noted that some employers have been active in encouraging the need for a divide between work and non-work time.Home working, remote working, or both?The COVID-19 lockdown created specific constraints that will not be a factor post-pandemic which limited many to only home-working. When one is confined to working from home, their experience will vary vastly based on their living arrangements. Size of property, access to a garden or open space and who one is sharing the property with will all have been factors.As society re-opens, two more opportunities will emerge. One is the opportunity for non-home-based remote working. This might well offer an attractive option for those who would like to avoid a 5 day a week return to the office but do not have suitable space for home working. However, it should also be considered as part of the wider mix for all employees. There is also the likely option that a mix of working environments is also likely. Some employees will relish the opportunity to continue to work from home, while others will be wanting to get back to a more social and in-person way of working. Respect should be given to both options, and both organisations and individual teams will need to consider how a hybrid approach could be best implemented to support both people and their work initiatives.Welsh Government policy on remote workingFor those of us who work in public affairs in Wales but for a UK or international organisation, it will be important to make employers aware of the Welsh Government policy regarding remote working. While the mood music might be similar elsewhere, it is the specifically stated ambition of the Welsh Government for 30% of the entire workforce to be working remotely from the office at any point in time. The idea being that this would not necessarily be the same people every day, but could be a pattern of people working some of the time in the office, some of the time at home, and some of the time at co-working hubs. The aim of this is both about worker wellbeing and reduction in congestion /associated pollutants. The Welsh Government promoted a consultation regarding the remote working hubs and has announced the locations of the initial roll out of co-working hubs to support this policy. RecommendationsIt is not the place of Public Affairs Cymru to set out a definitive pattern as to how post-pandemic work in the sector should be undertaken. It is a matter for each employer to adapt to the 'new normal' as is appropriate for their organisation and employee wellbeing. However, it is our view that the following recommendations are worthy of consideration when that discussion between employer and employee is taking place.Encourage staff input into the discussion and acknowledge that there is unlikely to be a 'one-size fits all' option for the whole of the office team, flexibility is key. This approach should be adequately reflected in recruitment processes. Potential new-starters should be encouraged to participate in a discussion with their prospective employers around what their preferred home/office set-up would be and how the organisation might best accommodate this. Discussions should take into account the personal and familial circumstances mentioned previously in this paper (a ‘whole person’ approach, rather than thinking of the individual as simply ‘an employee’).Some staff may value the opportunity to work from home, while others may need the level of social interaction generated in an office setting. Respect should be given to both outcomes, and employers should consider how a hybrid method of working could be implemented. Consider the potential financial savings for the employee and emissions savings for the environment by allowing an element of remote working for employees.Remote working also presents a possible financial saving for the organisation if less office space is required. However, caution should be taken to ensure cost savings are made in a sustainable manner and do not become a 'race to the bottom', this would harm the image of the organisation and the scope to attract the best public affairs professionals Wales has to offer.Employers should also give consideration as to how potential cost savings could be reinvested into training and professional development opportunities for their staff.Remote working offers the potential for public affairs professionals to choose not to be based in Cardiff. This has advantages for the employee as it increases their options and as Cardiff is one of the more expensive places to live in Wales, might help those priced-out of the housing market. It also offers the potential for a greater diversity of thought beyond the Cardiff Bay bubble consensus which might allow for better targeting of future campaign work.Employers should resist the temptation to adopt undue surveillance on remote workloads. The lockdown period has demonstrated that remote working on trust has delivered good results.It is important to support staff and colleagues who might take time to adjust to the return to the office.When staff are in the office, it will be essential that they have confidence in the hygiene measures undertaken on the premises.The experience of the pandemic should also result in a change of attitude about staff attending the office when they are unwell. A common cold is unlikely to stop someone working, but by allowing them to work from home instead of there being pressure to attend the office will help keep colleagues safe and productivity maintained. ................
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