• The Department of Public Expenditure has rejected claims made on behalf of Unions opposing the LRC proposals.
• Work-Life Balance arrangements in the public service recommended in the LRC proposals will remain among the best available options provided by Irish employers - particularly when considered in tandem with annual leave and other provisions including the shorter working year scheme and career breaks.
• The Irish public service has a proud record of promoting these arrangements and the employee profile across the service reflects the strong efforts made over the last few decades to ensure that public servants’ employment terms allow them to balance their work and home commitments.
• Flexible working arrangements, including flexible starting and finishing times, generous leave entitlements, the capacity to take career breaks and so on will continue throughout the public service.
• Indeed, the most popular and widely availed of worksharing arrangements will continue to be available to employees without change.
For example, in the civil service only in the region of 2% of those currently work sharing have a pattern of less than 50% - accordingly, the vast majority of work sharers will not be affected by this proposal.
• Flexitime will still be available where currently on offer, with most employees able to use
additional hours worked in one period to facilitate leave in the next, up to a maximum of
one day every four weeks. While currently up to 1.5 days flexi-leave can be availed of by employees in each four week period – this amounts to a potential 19.5 days flexi-leave a year, in additional to annual leave - the proposals reduce flexi leave to a potential 13 days a year. This is still a generous provision.
• The LRC’s proposals streamline existing arrangements so that a satisfactory balance can be struck between the delivery of the business needs of the employer – in this case the consistent delivery of high quality services to the public – and the need for working parents and carers to have flexibility to meet their personal commitments.
• In recognition of the valuable contribution made by carers to society, those in receipt of Carer’s Allowance will not be required to increase their hours above the 15 hour a week limit for payment of their allowance.
• In support of our commitment to achieving the public service target of a 3% employment rate for people with disabilities, those with disabilities who have reached a reasonable accommodation with their employer to work less than 50% of full time hours will continue to be able to avail of these arrangements for as long as they are required.