#BTEditorial – Time’s right for flexible opening hours too

We welcome the news that the Cabinet has approved the “Flexi-work Arrangement Policy for the Barbados Public Service”.

It was on September 19, 2020, when Barbados TODAY broke the story that thousands of public workers would have benefitted from the new working policy. At the time, workers and their union had called for a change in the working arrangement given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the Michaelmas school term.

The public workers, many of them parents, were concerned about the challenges they may face given the staggered school hours which had been introduced then by the Ministry of Education.

The four types of flexible working arrangements are: compressed week; flexitime; staggered hours; and telecommuting. Some aspects of these arrangements are already practised in some departments and ministries across Government.

At the time, President of the National Union of Public Workers Akanni McDowall had welcomed the news.

He told Barbados TODAY: “The union has been in support of the Flexible Working Policy for some time. We believe that there needs to be a work-life balance especially for those public servants who have to manage life at work and their family at home. We have been advocating for a flexible working policy.

“The working policy can carry many forms and I think the document explains all of those forms that it can carry. We are certainly in favour of those options that will be available for public servants so that they can choose what is most comfortable for them. The point of the working policy for the union is that we are focusing on output rather than physical time at work.”

Earlier this week, we reported that Gail Atkins, Director General of Human Resources in the Ministry of the Public Service, said the new arrangements were expected to result in a better work-life balance for public officers and temporary employees, as well as benefits for ministries and departments across the public service.

Indeed, it would appear that this COVID-19 unprecedented period has brought about at least one major silver lining for the public sector.

Not only will it serve well during this unpredictable time, but it can be utilised in a structured well-managed way going forward.

No longer should any worker feel pressured to struggle through an eight-hour day’s work which is restricted only to the hours to 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Whether it is an illness, domestic issues or other challenges, a worker can now opt to put back in his or her time under this new policy.

This lockdown and curfew period has shown that productivity can still happen in many Government departments with limited staff physically present, while others operate remotely.

The policy is something for which the NUPW said they had been agitating for many years. We hope the union does its part to ensure that workers understand the role they must play in making the execution of this policy successful.

The only way for a business enterprise or Government to be successful is if both employer and employee respect and understand their respective positions.

Too often it is an us against them approach. We expect that in rolling this out there will be challenges across the varying sectors. But we also expect that level heads will prevail for the good and benefit of the country.

If done correctly this could be the beginning of a new chapter in our country’s public sector. The staggering of work hours should eventually lead to the staggering of opening hours at some of our key Government agencies.

This notion that after 2:30 p.m. a citizen cannot get business done at the Barbados Licensing Authority in The Pine must end.

This notion that you cannot make physical Barbados Revenue Authority payments or get a National ID during the weekend has to be a thing of the past.

This notion that the Registration Department, which facilitates birth, death and marriage certificates, can only open Monday to Friday must no longer be.

We are aware that a lot of the hassle which previously existed has been successfully eliminated with the massive digitisation drive being undertaken by the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Smart Technology. And we praise Senator Kay McConney and her team for the inroads made so far especially with the swift issuing of Police Certificates of Character.

However, as the world progresses, as we diversify, as we move to become “world-class” as Prime Minister Mottley often says, we must look at more new and exciting ways to stay relevant and on the cutting edge.

With a large part of our private sector working shift hours, it should not be beyond certain Government agencies to open maybe from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. two days a week and at least two weekend days a month.

After working five days a person should not be forced to use an off-day, which is intended for rest and recuperation, to spend the majority of that day getting business completed.

We must meet people where they are at. We must make it easier for the average citizen to the professional, to conduct business in Barbados. This COVID-19 experience had to take us away from long lines to a digitised and efficient appointment system.

Government agencies should use this new Flexi-Work Arrangement Policy for the Barbados Public Service as a way of implementing more humane and decent ways for Bajans to carry out their business.

As we barrel toward mid-2021 in this 21st century, let us do better for our citizens and those who come to our fair island to conduct business.