The roadmap for savings in the public sector was announced by Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek. The target is to save 100 billion TL. In this context, a flexible or remote working system is being worked on in the public sector. Six models came to the agenda in the draft prepared. So how will the system that will affect the lives of millions of public employees and their families be implemented? What will be the benefits? Are there any negative sides? Here is the answer.
Minister of Treasury and Finance Mehmet Şimşek announced austerity measures in the public sector and drew attention to the “development of flexible and remote working models in the public sector”.
This development concerns millions of public employees and their relatives and marks a new era in working life. In this context, six different flexible working models have come to the agenda.
Number of Public Sector Employees
Number of public employees working in public institutions and organizations in Turkey: 5 million 101 thousand 689
As of September 2023:
Permanent staff (civil servants): 3 million 467 thousand 443
Contracted personnel 277,281
Permanent workers 1 million 204 thousand 526
In line with this data, flexible or remote working is expected to directly affect millions of people.
Six Flexible Work Models
Models planned to be implemented in the public sector according to the draft flexible working regulation:
Flexible working
Variable time operation
Intensified work
Remote working
Part-time work
Study for academic training purposes
Implementation of Flexible Working
In an interview with Milliyet, economist Muhammet Bayram provided information on how these models can be implemented:
Traffic Reduction in Istanbul: It was stated that there is a significant reduction in traffic, especially on Fridays in Istanbul, and that this is already practiced in the private sector and can also be applied in ministries.
Internet Based Applications: It was stated that inspectors and revenue specialists at the Ministry of Treasury and Finance use internet-based applications and that flexible working models can be introduced in public institutions where such jobs are certain. In this way, productivity may increase and employee motivation may also increase.
Remote Working in Metropolitan Areas: Due to long commutes in metropolitan areas, employees may switch to remote working models to increase productivity.
Extra Vacation Day
According to the draft, more than one working model is being considered. These models are
Flexible working
Variable time operation
Remote working
Hybrid operation
A flexible working model with a day off or remote working is possible. It is thought that it would be more effective to start this in the public sector.
