Union urges council to reveal hybrid working cost

Alec Doyle, Local Democracy Reporter

A council is facing fresh pressure to reveal how much a controversial requirement for staff to spend four days a week in the office has cost taxpayers, amid claims the policy has increased stress and failed to improve services.

UNISON has called on Wrexham County Borough Council to disclose the cost of its office attendance policy, arguing it has reduced flexibility, left some employees without permanent desks and created overcrowded working conditions.

The union also claims there is no evidence the policy has led to better services for residents.

UNISON is currently balloting members employed by the council over potential strike action this autumn over the hybrid working policy – which more than 90% of Wrexham Council employees voted against – and a proposed pay increase of 3.3% which it claims falls short of restoring the value of staff pay after years of wage decline.

Now UNISON has asked the council to reveal exactly how much has been spent on renovations to implement its hybrid working policy before the strike ballot closes on Thursday, August 6 and how much more spending is planned to renovate council offices and provide additional IT equipment and furniture.

It claims the council has had to refurbish offices to increase capacity as larger numbers of people are in the office at the same time, with many struggling to find desk space.

But according to union bosses the council says it will not release the figures until October. As a result it has submitted a Freedom of Information request but has called on the council to publish them now.

UNISON Wrexham branch secretary Tracey Sutton-Postlethwaite said: “Staff are being required to attend council offices four days a week, but the council still won’t say what that costs.

“Workers and residents should be able to see how public money is being spent, especially while staff are voting on potential strike action. Waiting until October to publish the figures isn’t good enough.”

It says the mystery over hybrid working costs means staff and taxpayers can’t judge the value of the policy and calls on the council to release the figures now and meet staff to agree a fair approach to hybrid working.

Hybrid working policy

UNISON Cymru regional organiser Merlin Gable said: “If the council already holds figures for how much the four-day policy will cost, then it should publish them now.

“Staff deserve to know while the ballot is going on. The council should agree a hybrid working policy that works for employees, services and residents.”

A Wrexham Council spokesperson said: “The council has followed its procedures in response to the data request and an up-to-date statement will be made in October.”

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