The decision regarding proposed flexible work arrangements within the public sector is expected to be made by the Ministerial Council by August, stated Maria Cleanthous, First Officer and Head of the Human Resources and Labor Relations Department at the Public Administration and Personnel Division, in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency.

The milestone for implementing flexible work formats in the public service, as outlined in the Recovery and Resilience Plan, is set for the end of 2024.

Mrs. Cleanthous emphasized that based on the commitments of the Plan, concerning the public sector, "we are obligated to conduct a study, explore what other countries are doing, understand the flexible employment forms, and assess the feasibility of implementing them in the public service, along with the necessary conditions, to ensure the smooth functioning of the services."

This study, she explained, marks the initial milestone set by the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The second milestone involves the implementation of flexible work formats by the end of 2024. "At this stage, the decision by the Ministerial Council regarding flexible work arrangements in the public sector is pending. We believe that in the next few days, before the end of August, the proposal will be presented to the Council, and the relevant decision on which flexible forms to implement within the given timeframe will be made," Mrs. Cleanthous noted.

It's worth recalling that the Ministry of Labor has already submitted a draft law concerning telework in the private sector to the Parliamentary Labor Committee. Some members of parliament are calling for the inclusion of the public sector in the legislation. 

Mrs. Cleanthous mentioned that there's still a way to go before telework can be implemented in the public sector. "We couldn't say that the draft law put forth by the Ministry of Labor applies to the public sector as well because there are still steps to be taken," she stated. She added that after the decision from the Ministerial Council, certain procedural steps must be followed before implementation.

Furthermore, she noted that the related directive at the EU level is still pending and hasn't been formulated yet. "Hence, we will also see the outcome of that directive to determine if we need to consider parameters that need to be included," she explained.

Responding to what needs to be done for telework to be implemented in the public sector, Mrs. Cleanthous indicated that there needs to be significant progress in available systems and infrastructure, which is why time until the end of 2024 is required. Some services might have advanced and possess the necessary systems to allow remote work, but others are still catching up, she clarified, adding that the issue of equal treatment is a concern.

In regards to other flexible work forms being considered besides telework for the public sector, Mrs. Cleanthous mentioned flexible working hours. Currently, working hours are from 7:00 to 8:30 a.m. and from 2:30 to 4:00 p.m. Increasing flexibility, for instance, might mean extending the flexible time window from 1.5 to 2 hours. Additionally, she noted the matter of reduced working hours with reduced compensation for specific employee categories. 

Regarding how productivity of remote workers will be monitored, Mrs. Cleanthous suggested that assigning specific tasks to be performed remotely could be an effective measure. An individual who is granted permission to work remotely for two days a week, for example, should be aware of their tasks, and both the employee and the supervisor should be informed of the expected outcomes.

Mrs. Cleanthous acknowledged that efficient monitoring cannot solely rely on tracking entry and exit times, given that not all tasks require continuous computer use. Thus, she suggested that monitoring might be done through deliverables.

She stressed that any measure should adhere to the legal framework concerning citizens' personal data, and in this case, employees' data.

In general, flexible employment forms, particularly telework, when applied to remote or home-based work, could lead to a reduction in traffic congestion and decreased operational expenses for public services, Mrs. Cleanthous highlighted.