Labour will not give the civil servants implementing their ‘right to switch off’ policy the chance to enjoy it themselves — despite demanding it from firms all over the country.
Staff at the Department for Business and Trade — some of whom are drawing up the flagship New Deal for Working People — will be exempt from the privilege of ignoring work-related messages outside of their contracted hours.
Employment Minister Justin Madders said staff working at the Whitehall department ‘may need to work additional or irregular hours’ when asked if they can switch off during weekends and evenings.
The advice appears to fly in the face of Labour’s radical proposal, which Downing Street has confirmed is going ahead.
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kevin Hollinrake, told the Mail: ‘As usual, it’s one rule for them and one for everyone else.
Employment Minister Justin Madders (pictured) said staff working at the Whitehall department ‘may need to work additional or irregular hours’
Shadow Secretary of State for Business and Trade, Kevin Hollinrake, (pictured) told the Mail: ‘As usual, it’s one rule for them and one for everyone else’
Labour will not give the civil servants implementing their ‘right to switch off’ policy the chance to enjoy it themselves (file image of Whitehall)
‘Small and Medium sized businesses will be the ones paying the price for Labour’s rank hypocrisy.
‘Labour need to think long and hard about whether it’s a good idea to shackle businesses with rules they aren’t even willing to follow themselves.’
The policy, spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, will allow employees to decline WhatsApp messages, emails and phone calls from their bosses or take on extra work in evenings and at weekends.
They will also be left alone while on annual leave.
Mr Madders was asked by Tory MP Gareth Bacon if civil servants in his private ministerial office will have the right to switch off during weekends and evenings in a written parliamentary question.
He responded: ‘All DBT employees have an existing set of Terms and Conditions which confirm their expected hours of work.
‘Given the nature of private office roles, employees may need to work additional or irregular hours, which is taken into account when determining their remuneration.
‘The private offices operate as a team which ensures responsibility for being available to support ministers outside of regular working hours is shared, work/life balance is monitored, and all employees can switch off regularly.’
alhough it was not mentioned in the King’s Speech last week, No 10 have since confirmed ministers will be pressing ahead with the policy.
A Downing Street spokesman said: ‘As we said more broadly on the King’s Speech, it is not the limit of our ambitions or the Government’s work, these are the first legislative steps.
‘We know, and indeed good employers understand, that for workers to stay motivated they need to be able to switch off – that is good for productivity.’
The Department for Business and Trade, which is implementing the reforms, previously declined to comment on whether there would be exemptions to the right to switch off.