Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing accusations of backtracking on commitments to increase in-office attendance for civil servants, as new job advertisements suggest employees may only need to be in the office two days a week.
The Labour government has not yet committed to enforcing the previous administration’s policy, which aimed to reduce the prevalence of working from home among Whitehall staff.
This hesitation has raised concerns among senior Conservatives, who fear that home working may become the norm under the new government.
John Glen, the shadow paymaster general, voiced his criticism: “Taxpayers deserve the very best from the civil service, yet under Labour, it looks like working from home is the new norm. We made strides in getting civil servants back to work after the pandemic and prioritising defence spending over ever-growing Whitehall numbers. Labour has made a very different choice, putting civil servants’ demands over value for money and public sector efficiency.”
60% of the week in the office
Currently, government targets require civil servants to spend at least 60 percent of their contracted hours in the office, which allows for up to two days a week to be worked from home. However, this guidance is under review, and no definitive stance has been taken by the government.
Since Labour’s landslide victory in the general election earlier this month, signs have emerged that the rules might be relaxing. For instance, an official website tracking civil service office attendance has not been updated since July 4, and recent job postings, such as a customer service adviser position at the Department for Work and Pensions, indicate that new employees will only need to be in the office two days a week.
In contrast, the Prime Minister is set to approve substantial pay rises for public sector workers, including teachers and NHS staff, at 5.5 percent, which is significantly above the current 2 percent inflation rate.
Civil servants have faced scrutiny for their continued home working since the pandemic’s onset four years ago. The previous Conservative government had pushed for greater office attendance, but compliance varied across departments. For example, HMRC’s headquarters had a low occupancy rate of 60 percent in the last reported week of May 20, with Belfast’s tax office showing just 56 percent attendance at least once a week.
A government spokesman stated: “The government’s entire focus is on the work of delivering change. We will support the civil service with the necessary tools to ensure it can deliver that for working people.”
Amelia Brand is the Editor for HRreview, and host of the HR in Review podcast series. With a Master’s degree in Legal and Political Theory, her particular interests within HR include employment law, DE&I, and wellbeing within the workplace. Prior to working with HRreview, Amelia was Sub-Editor of a magazine, and Editor of the Environmental Justice Project at University College London, writing and overseeing articles into UCL’s weekly newsletter. Her previous academic work has focused on philosophy, politics and law, with a special focus on how artificial intelligence will feature in the future.
