PM urges state administration employees to return to office work

After Monday's coalition cooperation meeting, Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs said he has instructed the Finance Ministry to assess remote working arrangements across state administration. According to him, remote work introduced during Covid-19 is still too common in some places, making it difficult for residents to receive services and reach officials.

Kulbergs said his personal experience shows state employees are hard to find in person not only on Fridays but also on other working days. He asked for a report on how remote work is currently organized and how face-to-face work could be restored more broadly.

The prime minister noted exceptions may remain for certain information technology professions or specific functions, but generally state employees should be available at their workplace. "Covid is no longer here, we must return and work on site," Kulbergs stressed.

The initiative was also supported by Economy Minister Viktors Valainis, who believes remote work in the public sector has become too widespread. He added that in both the Economy Ministry and the Agriculture Ministry, remote work has already been restricted, as managers can only allow it in specific cases. Valainis pointed out remote work was initially a solution for the pandemic that has not been fully abandoned, and face-to-face work should be a basic principle across the entire state sector.

The minister expressed skepticism about the possibility of fully monitoring work processes remotely and therefore fully supported reviewing the current system. No specific deadlines were announced on Monday; the Finance Ministry has been tasked with assessing remote work practices and potential exceptions.