Flexibility for civil servants in Cyprus

The Council of Ministers of Cyprus, at its meeting last week, approved a policy framework aimed at regulating flexible employment within the public service. This initiative aligns with the implementation of the European Union’s Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026. The Cypriot Ministry of Finance emphasized that the necessity for such regulation arose from the recent experiences of the pandemic, which underscored the critical importance of this issue.

The overarching objective of this flexible working regulation policy is to modernize the operations of the civil service while enhancing the work-life balance for its employees. It seeks to provide incentives, foster a supportive work environment, and ultimately better serve the public.

As part of this initiative, the cabinet decision under review introduces several key measures:

1. Mixed teleworking: This allows employees to telework on specific days of the week or for continuous periods during the year when it serves an official purpose.

2. Reduced working hours: Employees covered by the leave (paternity, parental, caregiver, force majeure) and flexible work arrangements for the Work-Life Balance Act of 2022 (parents of children up to 8 years of age and caregivers) can opt for reduced working hours, up to a maximum of two hours, with corresponding remuneration reduction.

3. Extension of flexible working hours: The current limit of 1.5 hours for flexible working hours will be extended to two hours.

The implementation of these flexible working arrangements is expected to be completed by the end of 2024. Key actions will include:

• Developing and adapting electronic systems and providing necessary technological equipment to support teleworking.

• Defining the framework for teleworking and other flexible employment forms, along with guidelines and conditions for implementation.

• Developing training programs to support the transition to the new work methods.

• Implementing modern electronic systems for recording employees’ attendance, which will support reduced working time and flexible working arrangements.

This move aligns with the Ministry of Labor and Social Insurance bill regulating teleworking in the private sector, currently under discussion in the relevant parliamentary committee.