Finance ministry reports early gains from public sector staggered hours as MPs press for productivity proof

Kingston — Parliament’s Economy and Production Committee on July 14, 2026 reviewed the public sector’s push into flexible work, after the Ministry of Finance and the Public Service outlined a phased staggered-hours policy and early survey results from ministries, departments and agencies.

Financial Secretary Darlene Morrison appeared with Deputy Financial Secretary Wayne Jones and Principal Director Lloyd Walters of the Strategic Human Resources Management Division. Walters told the committee that flexible arrangements — flexible start and finish times with core coverage hours, compressed workweeks, and approved remote or “work from anywhere” duties — support productivity, business continuity and disaster resilience.

She said the Government recognised alternative work patterns as far back as 1976, expanded them in the 2004 staff orders, and enabled wider use through Employment (Flexible Work Arrangements) legislation in 2014. COVID-19 sped up remote and hybrid practice, which later slowed after return-to-office orders. Circular No. 2 from the Ministry of Finance, effective February 1, 2026, rolled out staggered working hours as phase one, with hybrid work, telecommuting and compressed weeks planned later.

An implementation check of 70 entities found that 53 per cent had introduced staggered hours by May 2026, while about 49.3 per cent had not. Roughly 30 entities also reported other flexible options such as hybrid or remote work. A smaller October 2025 pulse survey of 30 ministries and agencies, drawing a confidential sample of 10, found 70 per cent of employees surveyed used flexible modalities; 80 per cent of entities reported higher engagement; 70 per cent reported better output; and 90 per cent said collaboration held steady or improved — all self-reported. Bodies granted approval include the Ministry of National Security, NEPA and JAMPRO.

Morrison stressed that February’s staggered hours were not designed chiefly to answer the fuel crisis but to widen take-up of arrangements already lawful since 2014, ease morning and evening congestion, and harden continuity against shocks. Staggered shifts still require commuting, she said, so larger fuel savings would more likely come from hybrid or full remote work. A fuller evaluation is due after six months’ monitoring.

Committee members pressed for objective metrics — processing times, customer satisfaction, absenteeism — and for digital systems to catch up so remote work is not undermined by paper-based processes. Member Jackson raised insurance and duty-of-care questions for home injuries; Jones said Jamaica is not yet at the stage where employers fully furnish home workspaces as in some European cases, but existing social-security rules and the employer’s duty of care still apply. Member Sivright asked how representative early figures are and whether fuel-use and foreign-exchange effects will be measured. The chair flagged a recommended multi-agency study on petrol savings from remote work, including possible contact with ECLAC, and suggested inviting the transport ministry to address congestion.

Kevin Frith of the Small Business Association of Jamaica said about 425,000 small firms are registered, employ roughly eight in ten workers and generate over 40 per cent of national income, yet most need on-site presence. Those that could work remotely often lack laptops, reliable internet or backup power, and face unclear rules on utilities, data protection and home liability. He urged fuel-voucher pilots, data-plan relief, co-working hubs and remote-work templates, arguing Jamaica needs “a practical start,” not a perfect plan.

Richard Cole of the Jamaica Manufacturers and Exporters Association cautioned that remote models succeed only with planning, KPIs and governance, and pointed to Congestion research elsewhere as a guide for studying fuel waste and health costs. The committee adjourned to a date to be fixed after the summer recess.