Derby City Council’s chief executive responds to concerns over staff working abroad for extended periods
Derby: So, there’s been a bit of a stir over at Derby City Council. The chief exec, Paul Simpson, is stepping up to defend their home-working policy. Apparently, some staff have been working from places like France and New Zealand for quite a while, and it’s raised a few eyebrows.
A recent Freedom of Information request revealed that one employee worked from France for 106 days, while another spent 42 days in New Zealand. That’s a lot of time away from the office, right? Naturally, this has sparked calls for an investigation into how remote working is being handled at the council.
But Simpson insists that only a small number of staff were allowed to work abroad, and it was only for limited periods. He mentioned that the data from the Freedom of Information request was more about IT accounts being active overseas rather than the actual hours worked. Sometimes, folks even jump on important meetings while they’re on holiday.
He emphasized that Derby City Council aims to be a modern, flexible employer. They want to use technology to help staff work from different locations, which is crucial for keeping good employees and providing quality services.
Simpson also pointed out that the council has been successfully using a hybrid working model for years. This approach has helped them respond quickly during emergencies, like the Covid pandemic and flooding incidents.
However, not everyone is on board. Councillor Alan Graves from Reform Derby called the situation “ridiculous.” Another councillor, Jonathan Smale, echoed those concerns, saying remote working has been a worry for a while now. He’s pushing for an immediate investigation into the home-working arrangements.
Smale wants a full audit to see if remote work is really necessary and being used properly. He’s not too happy about the long stretches of time some staff are spending abroad, especially when it comes to places like France and New Zealand.
