Taxpayers are set to continue funding Civil Servants working from home despite concerns over efficacy and value for money, the Cabinet Office has confirmed.
Under current guidance brought in by Rishi Sunak in the wake of widespread homeworking after the pandemic, Civil Service staff are expected to spend 60 per cent of their time working in their office – unless they’re on official business.
Now the Cabinet Office has confirmed there are no plans to change the 60:40 guidance in a win for the Civil Service Unions.
This comes as new data released by the cabinet office and compiled in partnership with Facts4EU shows some of the largest government departments are still struggling to make people come to the office three days a week.
Between January 2023 and April 2024, the staff attendance rate in HM Revenue and Customs stood at just 49 per cent. The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and the Home Office had the next lowest attendances of 51 and 55 per cent.
Percentage of civil servants attending their office
Facts4EU
Across the Civil Service, attendance rates averaged just 63 per cent up to April 2024.
There is no consistent way in which attendance is counted and the current methods are lenient. Attendees need only turn up to their office, not spend any significant period of time there.
The commitment to 60:40 coincides with a campaign from some Civil Servants to reduce their hours while remaining on the same pay.
On Monday, over 500 staff at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government signed a petition calling for a four-day week with no reduction to their salaries.
The Cabinet Office responded: “A four day working week is not something the government is considering.”
This comes after a recent poll found nearly 1 in 10 work-from-home employees admitted to napping during the working day costing thousands in wasted salaries.
Extrapolated for the entire 500,000 strong civil service, this would mean 22,500 Civil Servants doze off on the clock.
This is based on an ONS survey that found 48 per cent of civil servants work from home.
However, it would appear this figure is on the rise. Of the 1,147 civil service job adverts currently listed on the government website, 689- 60 per cent- offer ‘flexible working’.
This includes high paying jobs you might expect face-to-face leadership to be required such as the joint Head of Policy and Markets at the UK Debt Management Office on £160,000 per year, the Chief Operating Officer of the UK Health Security Agency on £149,000 a year and the Director of Business Surveys at the ONS on £98,000-£165,200 per year.
Almost 50 per cent of all HM Revenue and Customs Whitehall staff are working from homeGetty
The Cabinet Office said: “Heads of Department have agreed that 60% minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working for the Civil Service. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.
“The approach will allow teams and departments to maximise the benefits of hybrid working and getting the best from being together. The Civil Service approach is comparable to other large private and public sector employers.
“This reflects the view of Civil Service leaders that there remain clear benefits to spending time working together face-to-face as the government delivers on the Missions commitments.”
Working from home presents other problems too. Security expert Suid Adeyanju, CEO of RiverSafe told CityAM: “While remote work offers significant flexibility, it substantially increases the risk of cyber threats with unsecure home networks.
“A single data breach could result in the exposure of personal details, including passport information and visa applications that can put people’s livelihoods at risk.”
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Facilitating civil servants working from home also costs the taxpayer millions of pounds.
HM Revenue and Customs, for example, have expensed over 175,000 laptops, tablet computers, phones, and desktops to the taxpayer at a total cost of £82,609,759 over the last three years.
Alongside working from home, Civil Service jobs typically offer very strong job security and generous pension schemes with an average employer contribution of 27 per cent, meaning for every £1 an employee contributes, the Civil Service contributes almost £5.
During his time as a Cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg ran a long campaign to get civil servants back to their offices.
Rees-Mogg, now a GB News presenter, famously left notes on empty desks across departments saying: ‘Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon.’