CIPFA Plans to Reduce the working Hours of its staff by 20% - is This Good for all our Resilience?

I have just received a reply from Cipfa explaining why they are moving their staff to a 4 day week for a 9 months trial.

I want CIPFA to answer all my questions about the change in hours in a public press release to its members and the wider public.

I believe such a move made without due consideration could put CIPFA under great pressure.

First of all, CIPFA’s email sent to me today which I enclose below:

Dear Roman 

The Institute has an ambition to create an aspirational place to work with an engaged and motivated workforce.

Implementing a four-day week is a progressive, modern and positive change to improve work/life balance for our employees and ensure CIPFA is an attractive place to work.

 While we trial this change we are looking at different and smarter ways of working. We are reassessing our processes and procedures to make sure we are as effective and efficient as possible while maintaining our high customer and client standards.

The trial will last for nine months; during the trial management will be regularly reviewing the impacts on the business and also monitoring the effects on employees. 

The CIPFA Board holds oversight for operational matters and is comfortable with trialling the four-day week to improve our employee offer in an operating context where we cannot compete for talent on the basis of salary. 

Regarding talks with the ICAEW, an update will be included in the next edition of Membership Matters due for circulation later this week. 

Kind regards

Nicola  

Nicola Hannam

Company Secretary & Chief of Staff 

CIPFA is trialling a four-day week.

This was my response email

Hi Nicola

Unfortunately your response falls far short of what I requested.

For the avoidance of doubt I will reiterate my questions adding new questions which address the very significant nature of this change in CIPFA service delivery:

1. What is the business case for trying out a 4 day working week for all CIPFA staff?

2. Can you please let CIPFA members and the wider public finance community know of the results of the business case for such a move?

3. I have been contacted by CIPFA members who are worried about how the reduction in the CIPFA working week will affect the quality, breadth and depth of services CIPFA delivers to its members and customers?

How will CIPFA address these legitimate concerns?

4. If the trial of such a change of service delivery is for 9 months which critical factors does CIPFA feel will transform this trial into a permanent working arrangement?

5. What modelling has been done to predict the costs and revenues of such a move on CIPFA's financial position?

6. Can CIPFA please share the results of such modelling with its members?

7. I am not opposed to a 4 day working week in principle but I remain to be convinced this has been properly project managed.

What evidence can you provide that this hugely significant issue has been properly considered?

8. Some 2 years ago the CIPFA business  plan aimed for doubling group income to circa £45m and increasing membership to 20k.

Have these plans now been abandoned?

9. Apparently the CIPFA Board is comfortable trialling these plans for 9 months.On what basis is it comfortable in doing so?

Is this the same Board who had oversight of the disastrous London Counter Fraud Hub £3.7m acheme writedown?

If the answer to this is yes then I'm not reassured.

10. Why has CIPFA not actioned a press release to its members and the public at large explaining what it is doing as regards the working week of its staff?

Apart from the expanding working relationship with ICAEW the remaining factors concerning the reduced working week for CIPFA staff remain largely  unaddressed.

I am requesting that CIPFA issues a press release by the end of this week answering fully the questions I have raised.

My worries are that the effects of such a move on the finances of CIPFA have not been properly considered especially in terms of potential lost income.

If a service provider was only available to me 80% of the time then frankly I would be looking for a significant reduction in fees especially when authorities face such huge cost pressures!

The 4 day week may be a good thing but the cold financial elements must be properly considered!

I expect a full press release answering all my aforementioned questions from CIPFA by this Friday.

Cipfa members have a right to know what is going on and I look forward to CIPFA explaining itself to its members as indeed it is required to do.

I look forward with anticipation to your public response.

Regards Roman Haluszczak 

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Please 📚 both emails and I hope you agree that CIPFA is obliged to explain the financial effects of its 9 month trial in reducing its contact time with its members and clients!

I'm far from convinced it will positively affect CIPFA's resilience and likewise how will under pressure authorities react and cope with reduced contact time with CIPFA as an Institute?

You all need to think about this and CIPFA must explain itself.

There is no other way.