THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) is now on its ninth day of implementing a hybrid work arrangement for all personnel in its central and regional offices, except those providing frontline services, allowing them to report to the office for only four days in a week and to work remotely on Fridays.
CSC chairperson Karlo Nograles said starting August 1, 2024, all CSC officials and employees were encouraged to observe Friday as the uniform remote day while ensuring continuous delivery of external frontline services from Monday to Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The commission outlined the adoption of a flexible work arrangement (FWA) under CSC Resolution No. 2400579 issued on July 10, 2024.
“As the central human resource (HR) agency of the government, the CSC is committed to leading the way in adopting sustainable HR management practices that contribute to climate change mitigation measures. At the same time, we shall set an example by ensuring that the service provided to our stakeholders and the general public remains uninterrupted, even amidst the hybrid work arrangement,” said Nograles.
Nograles said the new policy is intended to institutionalize suitable work arrangements for government officials and employees while ensuring the protection of their health, safety, and welfare.
Likewise, the agency hopes to help the government minimize the impact of steep global prices of petroleum products, reduce the consumption of both electricity and fuel, and alleviate traffic congestion.
“We are optimistic that this policy will uplift the morale and boost the productivity of CSC employees by providing reasonable work arrangements that facilitate work-life balance.
Additionally, we hope this will inspire other government agencies to appreciate the benefits of a hybrid work setup in driving employee well-being and performance,” Nograles added.
External frontline services at the CSC Central Office include the Integrated Records Management Office, Information and Communications Technology Office, Public Assistance and Information Office, Office for Financial and Assets Management, Office for Legal Affairs, and the Examination Recruitment and Placement Office.
On the other hand, the Regional Offices have the prerogative to determine their external frontline staff.
Under the CSC FWA policy, all officials and employees are still required to render 40 hours of service in a week regardless of employment status: permanent, temporary, coterminous, casual, and contractual.
The same rules apply to contract of service and job order workers, in accordance with the provisions allowed in their contracts.
