Bosses are instructing Whitehall staff to return to the office.
Bosses are instructing Whitehall employees to return to the office, despite the prevailing trend of remote working in the civil service.
- Staff were informed that they are required to be present once remote working became the norm.
Yesterday, Whitehall bosses urged civil servants to cease working remotely and return to their office desks.
Employees were informed that they are now required to work from the office, as remote work became prevalent during the lockdown period.
The all-staff Cabinet Office conference at the QEII centre in Westminster – which ironically some employees followed online from home – heard that being in the office helps build teams and get projects finished.
According to Politico news site, the message was conveyed by both the highest-ranking official in the department, Permanent Secretary Alex Chisholm, and Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin.
Last night, an insider informed the Mail that it is expected for civil servants to work from the office. The focus should be on serving the taxpayers, rather than having civil servants working remotely and expressing dissatisfaction about being in the office. According to official data, it appears that the message encouraging a return to the office has been gradually reaching officials in the past few weeks.
The communication was conveyed by the highest-ranking official in the department, Permanent Secretary Alex Chisholm (depicted in the image).
Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin (pictured) also delivered the message – with his own HQ 76 per cent full in the week commencing September 11th, the fullest it has been since May
The Cabinet Office’s headquarters on Whitehall had an occupancy rate of 76 percent during the week starting on September 11th, which is the highest it has been since May.
The Department for Work and Pensions achieved a record occupancy rate of 81 percent during the same week, marking the highest level for the year.
65 percent of staff in the Department for Education were present at their desks, which is higher than the 50 percent during the summer.
It comes after a Whitehall union leader admitted that civil servants who enjoy working from home resent being forced back to their desks by ministers.
Steven Littlewood, National Officer at the FDA which represents senior officials, said there is no point making staff go back to commuting if they then spend all day in video meetings.
Additionally, he stated that certain Government departments have significantly decreased their office area to the extent that there would not be sufficient seating available if all employees were present on the same day.
At a side event during the TUC Congress, Mr. Littlewood, an FDA officer, discussed the topic of flexible working. He mentioned that after the lockdown period, when hybrid working began, there were numerous criticisms directed towards civil servants who were working from home. Some ministers referred to it as “shirking from home,” and even Jacob Rees-Mogg left passive aggressive notes on desks questioning why people were not in the office. This presented a significant challenge for civil service leaders, as they recognized the benefits of hybrid working for both themselves and the employees.
The Department for Work and Pensions achieved a record occupancy rate of 81 percent in the same week, marking the highest level for the year.
Steven Littlewood, a representative for senior officials at the FDA, stated that it is pointless to require staff to commute if they will be spending their entire day in video meetings.
Once more, studies have shown that individuals are willing to go to the office as long as they perceive a reason for doing so. However, they strongly oppose the idea of commuting for an hour and a half, sitting at an unfamiliar desk in a shared workspace, spending eight hours on Teams calls, and then traveling back home by train or car.
“If there is a purpose behind it, people are willing to come to the office willingly. However, they feel resentful when they are forced to do so for political reasons, which seems to be the intention of ministers. This has been a significant challenge for us.” When asked if his union would oppose a new initiative to bring officials back to the office, he responded, “Our members understand that if it is necessary for them to be in the office, they will comply. But, as I mentioned earlier, effective management acknowledges that people are more willing to do so if there is a valid reason.”
“I cannot reword”
