More than €600k combined spent by Cork councils on working from home

LOCAL authorities in Cork spent more than €600,000 in recent years to allow staff to work from home, it has been revealed.

Working from home fast became the norm in early 2020, as the world responded to the covid-19 pandemic.

Despite many workplaces and other aspects of everyday life returning to normal in late 2021/early 2022, the appeal of working from home remained for many. As a result, some workplaces adopted a work-from-home policy or a blended approach.

Information obtained from Cork City Council shows the local authority spent €185,000 on remote working in 2020, around €99,000 in 2021, and €54,000 in 2022. The local authority said this spend was related to both software and hardware costs.

Meanwhile, information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act shows Cork County Council spent almost €300,000 to facilitate council staff to work from home over an 18-month period.

The data shows that Cork County Council spent €245,000 in 2022 and €26,000 in the first six months of 2023 to allow staff to work from home during this period.

In a statement to The Echo, sent with the requested information, Cork County Council said that the money spent relates to the supply of adjustable office chairs, laptop risers, keyboards, computer mice, and footrests where required.

“It should be noted that the council’s blended working policy came into effect on September 19, 2022,” the local authority stated.

“All instances of working from home prior to that date are deemed to be in the context of the response to the covid-19 pandemic.

“In accordance with its blended working policy, Cork County Council ordered necessary equipment for employees, based on workstation assessments.”

The county council also provided data on the number of employees who were approved to work from home under the blended working policy. The local authority said some 1,449 staff members were approved for the scheme, with 1,045 taking the opportunity to work from home on occasion.

Of the 1.2m required work hours during this period, around 335,000 were completed from home, and around 27% of rostered hours were completed from home, according to the county council’s data.

“Of those approved, only 72% worked from home in the period between September 19, 2022, [the effective date for commencement of approved blended working arrangements] and the end of May 2023,” the council stated.

“The total hours due to be worked in the period are those hours due to be worked by those approved under the policy.”