Nottinghamshire approves hybrid model of flexible working

Councillors have approved proposals which will see Nottinghamshire County Council staff move to a hybrid model of working from October.

Part of the council’s efforts to work more efficiently after the pandemic, the Hybrid Working Strategy builds on work which took place before the coronavirus crisis, as part of its Smarter Working programme, and how it adapted to new ways of working during it.

Council chiefs say the move will increase productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness and save travel time and costs, as well as continue to reduce the authority’s carbon footprint. It will also enable the council to work more flexibly, closer to its communities and ensure services are designed and delivered to meet the needs of people across Nottinghamshire.

In April, a survey of the council’s workforce found that the majority of the 2,248 employees who took part feel satisfied with their health, safety, and well-being at work and with the support, supervision, and guidance they receive from their manager.

Ben Bradley, council leader, said: “Working through the Covid-19 pandemic has been challenging for us all, but it has provided us with an opportunity to look at the way we work and build on the progress of our Smarter Working programme, which was already underway prior to pandemic.

“Working more flexibly in a hybrid model will increase our efficiency and effectiveness and improve the productivity of employees.  Also, by working differently, it will enable us to be closer to our communities and work with them to ensure that our services are accessible and designed and delivered to meet the needs of residents in the best way possible.

“I want Nottinghamshire County Council to lead the way, by showing how local governments can adapt, to offer better value for the taxpayer, and serve residents in a smarter, greener way. It means less time and money wasted travelling unnecessarily, it is more environmentally friendly, and it means we can make the best use of our buildings, still working face to face and meeting people in person, where there is value in that. By being flexible and open to change, I’m confident that we can make this work well.

“Although we are moving to the end of the government’s roadmap, we know that the coronavirus hasn’t gone away. We will continue to follow all the national Government and public health guidance, to protect the public and our staff.”