The concept of remote working is based on a balance between the people and the service, and focuses on the faith between management and employees and the results produced by the team, said Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar.

“The government is currently tailoring policies and structures that can withstand the new trends which will be introduced in the Public Service; as we move from a tradition work structure to a more modern digital one.”

Cutajar said this whilst addressing a conference on remote working and employees’ wellbeing within the public service as part of Public Service Week 2020. Cutajar said that the government is looking into ways to provide more opportunities to invest in the worker, which in return is investing the future of the Public Service. “The wellbeing of our workers is very important, and there must be a balance in investing in our workers as much as we invest in the service itself.”

Discussing remote working, Cutajar said that the Public Service started remote working prior to the coronavirus pandemic and was introduced in 2019. “The concept of remote working had already been studied, so much so that the Ministry for Energy and Water Management drew up a pilot project to examine this concept, and are also working on another project dealing with the concept of a paperless office.”

He said that remote working has a number of benefits to it, a huge one being the impact on the environment due to the lack of travelling. He said that the project of a paperless office also will reduce the need for paper and resources and strengthen the digital development and investment in the Public Service.

“It is important to take note that there is a difference between remote working and teleworking,” explained Cutajar. “Remote working means that one may work from wherever he chooses to , and not necessarily from home. In practicing remote working, the Public Service will take into account the experiences during COVID-19 and that way we can analyse the pros and cons and work better to provide a stronger remote working scheme for workers.”

 “The main principles of remote working are the results and faith. Each employer must be fully organised and have the right structures in mind to ensure that remote work will work accordingly with the results in mind. Because of the lack of physical contact, it is essential that there is faith between the management and employees.”

Cutajar explained that aspects such as technological connectivity, confidentiality, management and attitudes of people who, although working outside the office, prefer to leave home, were also analysed. He said that the Public Service will provide for the latter through a ‘hot desking’ system at the government service regional hubs.

“The Public Service is taking all this into account to be able to address it through new policies. At the same time, the Public Service acknowledges that these trends should not be dealt with separately. The work of the government is broader, accountability must remain in place and therefore we also need to look at how records are kept, how filing is done, and what should and should not go to the National Archives.”

Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Energy and Water Management Anthony Gatt is manager of a pilot project on Remote Working within the Ministry. Gatt provided an online presentation breaking down the benefits of remote working and explaining the project.

“With the project, we will have the means and information of how to move forward with remote working, and how to have better and effective communication amongst organisations.”

He explained that remote working provides better opportunity for employees, with a system which is more modern and digitally system. He said that through remote working employees will work together with a shared vision and with more responsibility.

He said that as an office working through remote working, he said that it has been successful. He said that there were three working groups; one which focuses on the IT structure of remote working, one which recommends new policies regulating remote working and another which focuses on the wellbeing of the employees.

Gatt announced that his own office will be transitioning to full-time remote working this November. “Through remote working our employees had more time to spend with their families, whilst also benefitting our environment, as less pollution was produced as our employees began working remotely. Our employees want to move towards remote working,” said Gatt.