Sheffield Estates Rationalisation

Sheffield Estates Rationalisation

To all members;

You will be aware that DWP in Sheffield is undergoing a reorganisation of its estate. Locally, the Trade Union Side (TUS) has had a number of meetings with the Estates Rationalisation Project, and this note updates members on the current position.

Background

You will no doubt be aware of the intention to have all Corporate Centre (CC) staff housed in two buildings by 2015 – Rockingham House and Kings Court. In reality however, the position is more complicated than this. A home also needs to be found for staff in those parts of the COO based in the current Head Office buildings (primarily OED and CCSD), and even excluding these, there are still too many people to accommodate in just two sites. In reality therefore, rather than moving from five buildings to two, we will be moving from five to five (Rockingham House, Kings Court, Hartshead Square, Bailey Court and Vulcan House, a Home Office building).   

Smarter Working

In order to accommodate the numbers within the space available it is the intention to use Smarter Working (SW) arrangements in most buildings (OED staff in Bailey Court will be an exception). In essence, this means there will be fewer desks than people, normally around eight desks to every ten full time equivalents (note that this could mean fewer than eight to every ten people). Individuals will not have a desk that is ‘theirs’; instead they will work at whichever one is free when they arrive at work. Possessions will be removed from their workstation at the end of the day and stored in a locker. In the morning these will be retrieved from the locker and taken to whichever desk they are working at.

PCS does not support the use of SW. As a way of working, we believe it is flawed; there are issues around finding a workstation in a morning, and the consequent pressure this can place on individuals; it is more difficult to protect adapted workstations from being altered or rendered unavailable by different users; staff may not always be able to sit with their immediate colleagues and there are questions around risk assessment of workstations. There are also issues about how it affects perceptions of work – generally, we benefit from the feeling of having a space which is ours, and there is evidence to suggest that without it, people consequently feel more disconnected from, and less comfortable in, the workplace. In other words, it is dehumanising the workplace when making people feel more comfortable with their working environment can improve both wellbeing at work and productivity. In respect of the latter, this has lead to some experts questioning whether the supposed cost savings of cheaper accommodation under SW are actually realised.

Locally we are not in a position to negotiate on how, or if, SW will be deployed; consultation on the SW ‘model’ is done at national level. In effect, the project is implementing a model that is pre-designed, but to which the union at national level has not agreed. We are engaged with PCS nationally and further consultation is underway at this level – we will keep you updated with any developments. As it stands however, it is clear the drive to reduce costs is resulting in greater use of SW across the Department as a whole.

Adapted Workstations

SW works on the premise that workstations are identical. Where one is specially adapted for an individual, this could place limitations on whether it can be used by another member of staff when the normal user is absent.

In theory, the SW model allows a workstation with ‘mobile’ adaptations to be used by other individuals. This could include things like a special keyboard or mouse, which can be changed for standard ones when being used by others. In reality, this could be limited by practical considerations (if a different keyboard was required for example, where would it come from?). Other changes, such as desk risers, are not mobile, and therefore would render the workstation unsuitable for sharing.

Our view is that it is imperative that adequate protection for specially adapted workstations is provided. The intended user should be able to return to their desk and have their adaptations in place and set up as they were intended. Specialist chairs must not be adjusted by others (which in practice means they must not be used, as effectively this would mean using a chair which is unadjustable) and individuals should not have to spend excessive time having to adjust their workstation back to its intended state when they return to it. We are discussing measures to ensure this happens with the project.            

Data Capture

An exercise to collect information on staff characteristics will be undertaken. Amongst other things, this will identify those individuals who have any special equipment or adaptations. It is important that if you have any special arrangements in place you ensure these are captured and transferred to your new location/workstation. If you have any concerns in this respect please speak to a PCS representative.

Risk Assessments

Workplace risk assessments (RAs) for the new layouts will need to be undertaken, and PCS Health & Safety Representatives will be involved in these. There is also the position of Display Screen Equipment (DSE) RAs to consider.

We are concerned about the view in some quarters that, because ‘standard’ workstations are theoretically identical, individuals only need to complete a DSE RA at the one they most commonly use. The Display Screen Equipment Regulations 1992 require shared workstations to be assessed for all those who will use them. Given that RAs cover external factors, such as lighting and noise, as well as the physical workstation itself, there may be instances where moving to a different workstation raises issues that need to be addressed. Where this is the case, users should ask for a DSE RA to be undertaken. The fact this is potentially disruptive is a product of SW, and individuals should not be asked to put up with standards lower than those applied where desks are allocated 1:1 just because of cost-saving ways of working.         

Cycling Facilities

There has been considerable discussion about the loss of facilities used by cyclists – storage, lockers and showers – at those buildings that will not form part of the long term estate. Cycling has an important role in the green agenda, as well as providing a practical solution for travelling to work, and we have lobbied the project for this to be addressed by boosting facilities at the remaining buildings.

The response is that any solutions may be limited, at least in respect of storage, due to issues with access. The project has put options together however and a final decision is expected shortly.

Unfortunately, DWP’s stated environmental aims appear to be taking a back seat in the drive to reduce costs, as evidenced by the closure of Norcross in Blackpool, which has good public transport provision, and the consequential move of staff to Peel Park, which does not. PCS believes good public transport links and facilities for cyclists should be a pre-requisite of any DWP building, and the choice of which buildings to retain in Sheffield presented an opportunity to ensure this requirement could be met. However, it seems financial considerations have taken precedent.

Next Steps

Preparing buildings for greater occupancy under SW requires significant alteration, and a programme of works is planned. Most people will be aware that Levels 3 and 4 in Rockingham House are currently being refurbished; these will be occupied in early December to allow Mayfield Court to be vacated and closed as a DWP building. Further work will be undertaken on Levels 1 and 2 in Rockingham House, as well as Kings Court. Final arrangements for Hartshead Square and Vulcan House are still under discussion.

The TUS will continue to consult with the project on the key issues and keep you informed of progress. It is important we have your feedback – if you have any concerns or questions please do not hesitate to contact a PCS representative.

PCS DWP Head Office Sheffield Branch

22 November 2012