UĦM orders public sector employees with children to work from home if they have no support

Updated at 3:16pm with statement from the Office of the Principal Permanent Secretary

UĦM has declared an industrial dispute with government while issuing a set of directives that will come into force on 15 March.

Under the directives, public sector employees with children aged 12 and under will work from home if there is nobody available to look after the children during work hours.

“This is only applicable to one parent and not in cases where another parent is available to take care of the children,” the union said.

The directive will apply on school days, and is also extended to those days on which children are registered to attend Klabb 3-16.

Employees at educational institutions whose duties can be done remotely will be directed to work from home, as will pregnant women regardless of whether they are front liners or not.

A public sector directive issued during the first week of March instructed heads of departments within public entities to ensure that any work that can be done remotely is carried out as such.

In a statement issued in response to the above directions, the Office of the Principal Permanent Secretary pointed out that this directive is applicable to vulnerable persons in the public services, and those who are not considered as such.

"This means that that which the UĦM announced is unnecessary as it has already been in effect for a number of days," the statement reads.

UĦM had sent a letter to the Principal Permanent Secretary to ensure that the COVID-19 remote working directive is implemented fairly, with no deductions in take-home pay.

The directives will remain in force until 11 April.