You may be aware that Argyll and Bute is experiencing a significant increase in confirmed Covid cases. It’s a reminder that we still need to exercise caution to keep each other safe.
Returning to offices
From 21 March, most regulatory protective measures will no longer be in place. However, due to a rise in national infections, the Scottish Government announced that the wearing of face coverings in shops and on public transport will remain in place until April. Read the latest update from the Scottish Government.
The Scottish Government is also encouraging employers to adopt a phased return to offices and hybrid working approach. As you know, we are delivering this through our Modern Workspace Project.
Please do not rush back to offices just yet. It is really important that we keep everyone safe and help protect essential services.
With this in mind, we are looking to introduce a staggered return to offices for employees who have requested they would like either some time or full time access to an office.
Next steps
Last year Managers provided us with information on the amount of time teams would look to be office based. We realise a lot can happen in a year and it’s important that this information is up to date.
We are asking Managers to confirm your views on hybrid working remain the same as last year. This includes full time office requests.
Once we have this information, we can share details of the staggered return. We are working to produce this by April. Please bear in mind, this is subject to ongoing rates and staff absences which may affect timescales. The feedback we receive will allow us to prepare our hub offices and make sure we keep everyone safe.
It is important our handle our records appropriately and ensure we are disposing of them within the required timescales set out in the information asset registers and adhere to the retention periods identified for each service. For more help read Managing Records and Information.
What do I do if I need to go into the office?
If you need access to an office, please follow the information on the Hub and discuss with your line manager in the first instance.
It’s important we get this right. As you can imagine, this is a large project with complex requirements from across the council. We are having to be flexible in our approach as the Covid situation evolves.
Thank you for your patience.
Jane Fowler Ross McLaughlin
Head of Customer Support Services Head of Commercial Services
