What Is the New Regulation That Closely Concerns Civil Servants? A draft regulation has been prepared regarding flexible working conditions that affect millions of civil servants. Under the draft, civil servants will be able to set their own start and end times for work. With the reorganization of the public personnel regime under the Presidential Government System, a flexible working system is being introduced.
According to the proposed flexible working system, civil servants will be allowed to work with greater flexibility across different time blocks. A draft regulation has been prepared to govern the implementation of this flexible work arrangement. The ongoing draft specifies the reasons for determining flexible working hours as follows.
- To help civil servants maintain a healthy work-life balance,
- To increase their commitment to work, sense of responsibility and productivity during working hours,
- To minimize time lost commuting to and from work,
- To reduce traffic congestion,
- To facilitate responsibilities related to caring for the sick, children, persons with disabilities and elderly relatives,
- To reduce administrative service costs and prevent waste of public resources.
What Are the Time Blocks for Flexible Working for Civil Servants?
Under the draft law prepared for civil servants, the flexible working arrangement will be applied on a voluntary basis. No obligation to participate in flexible working will be imposed if a civil servant has not submitted a written request. This provision is included in the draft. Equality in employment rights will be maintained between civil servants who choose to work flexibly and those who do not.
How will flexible working be applied according to the draft law?
- The flexible working system divides time into two blocks: flexible time and core time.
- Civil servants are required to be present at their institution during core time, while presence is not mandatory during flexible time.
- Core time will be set by institutions so that it does not exceed five hours within the statutory daily working period; flexible time will cover the remaining periods of the working day outside of core time and lunch breaks.
- Civil servants will have the freedom to determine the start and end of their daily working hours. If requested, they may also ask the institution to formalize this arrangement in writing.
- Civil servants must be present at the institution during core hours. They should therefore schedule personal matters such as doctor appointments and banking during flexible working time.
- Remote work allows civil servants to perform their duties outside the institution using information systems, without being bound to the statutory daily or weekly working periods.
- However, for project delivery or temporary assignments requiring completion within a specified time, tasks assigned by an authorized supervisor must be delivered on time; the civil servant may, if they wish, carry out such tasks outside information systems as long as delivery deadlines are met.
Part-Time Work Option for Civil Servants Caring for a Disabled Relative
Civil servants who have responsibility for caring for a sick, elderly, dependent or disabled person may apply to work part time, provided they document their situation. Those who wish to benefit from this provision must submit a written application and will be allowed to work fewer hours than the statutory working time under the conditions set out in the draft.
Civil servants with a disabled relative—such as a parent, spouse, child or sibling—who require treatment after an accident or illness, or who have a parent in need of care, may be permitted to work five hours a day for up to two months in a year.
How Will Civil Servants’ Working Hours Be Arranged According to the Regulation?
The regulation sets out intensified working patterns that civil servants may choose, provided that the calculation period is weekly or biweekly. The available intensified schedules include:
- 9/80 Working Hours: A two-week cycle in which the civil servant works nine days totaling eighty hours, resulting in one day off during the second week.
- 4/4 Working Hours: A schedule where the civil servant works four days a week totaling forty hours and has one day off.
4/36 – 1/4 Working Hours: A schedule in which the civil servant works four full days at nine hours each (36 hours), plus one half-day of four hours, leaving the remaining half-day as time off.