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Tuesday 23 January 2024

They seek them here, they seek them there



Whitehall chiefs pushed to get civil servants back in office for 60% of working week

Civil servants in some departments have been accused of being slow to return to their desks

Whitehall chiefs came under pressure on Tuesday to make sure civil servants are back in the office for 60 per cent of the working week.

Stepping up pressure on senior bosses to ensure staff are back at their desks in departments, Cabinet Office minister John Glen said “people expect, if you are paid by the taxpayer, to be working together”...

Latest Civil Service headquarters occupancy data showed in the week of January 8 the daily average staff rate was 48 per cent of the Home Office's capacity, 51 per cent for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, 54 per cent for HMRC, 55 per cent for the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and 58 per cent for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.

Some departments will have specific reasons for staff not being at their desks but the figures compare to 97 per cent for the Department for Education, 92 per cent for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and 88 per cent for the Cabinet Office.


Slow to return to their desks? I'm not convinced that 'slow' is the right word here, but selling their desks and renting out the office space would be a start.

6 comments:

Sam Vega said...

Seek, and if not sick, sack. It sucks!

Bucko said...

We still have some people working at home, but they have a lot of work to do and they have to do it. We're private sector though. I get the impression a lot of these 'public service' stooges have actually retired and just not told anyone, so they can keep the wage coming in.
Only 100% attendance can decide if these people are worth keeping on or not

DAD said...

A few P45s (if they are still used in the UK) would work wonders.

A K Haart said...

Sam - that's it, turn up or be sacked.

Bucko - long experience suggests to me that there won't be the same oversight you have. Many of those concerned probably know it too.

DAD - yes, a few of those would work like magic.

Anonymous said...

If these people are working from home, then Shirley they should be paying part business rates as well as council tax? Especially as, so I understand, they are claiming tax relief or employee assistance for the cost of additional use of electricity or heating, and even office furniture. Another example of why this country is broken, but where could we move to?
Penseivat

A K Haart said...

Penseivat - I don't know how these things are calculated, but if they claim for the cost of additional use of electricity, heating or office furniture, then Shirley they already have those things provided in their civil service office.