Civil servants will have to spend at least three days a week in the office after senior Whitehall officials recommitted to rules on working from home.
Under the previous Tory government, civil servants were told to spend 60 per cent of their time in the office or on official business, rather than at home.
Following July’s general election, it was reported that newly-appointed Labour ministers were quietly ignoring the rules in a ‘less dogmatic’ approach towards staff.
But Whitehall chiefs have now made a fresh commitment to the 60 per cent target after deciding the guidance should not change.
Cat Little, permanent secretary at the Cabinet Office, was revealed to have written to other heads of departments yesterday to reconfirm the three-day-a-week instruction.
It appears to be a victory for Chancellor Rachel Reeves after she put herself at odds with Cabinet colleagues by hailing the benefits of staff working together in an office.
Civil servants will have to spend at least three days a week in the office after senior Whitehall officials recommitted to rules on working from home
It appears to be a victory for Chancellor Rachel Reeves after she put herself at odds with Cabinet colleagues by hailing the benefits of staff working together in an office.
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds had criticised a ‘culture of presenteeism’ in Britain’s workplaces and insisted a default right to flexible working would boost productivity
Ms Reeves last month said she ‘leads by example’ by turning up to her Treasury workplace and said staff benefitted from ‘coming together’ to work ‘collaboratively’.
This contrasted with the stance taken by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, who had criticised a ‘culture of presenteeism’ in Britain’s workplaces.
He also insisted a default right to flexible working would boost productivity and hit out at the ‘bizarre’ Tory approach of ‘declaring war on people working from home’.
The Cabinet Office said civil service bosses had ‘agreed that 60 per cent minimum office attendance for most staff continues to be the best balance of working’.
‘The approach will allow teams and departments to maximise the benefits of hybrid working and getting the best from being together,’ the department added.
‘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.’
The Government will also reintroduce the publication of monitoring data on Whitehall working patterns, which was paused ahead of the general election.
Statistics on the use of office space across departments will now be published quarterly in a ‘more cost-effective’ approach than the weekly data that was published under the Tories.
The 60 per cent rule was issued last November amid a push by the Tory government to get Whitehall staff back to their office desks following the Covid pandemic.
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg ran a long campaign to get civil servants back to their offices when he was a Cabinet minister.
This included leaving 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.’
The Cabinet Office added: ‘Guidance on office attendance will remain in place, with most civil servants expected to spend at least 60 per cent of their time at a Government building or on official business, such as visiting stakeholders.
‘Heads of departments across Government have agreed that the Civil Service is best able to deliver for the people it serves by taking a consistent approach to in-office working.’
The Government has also reintroduced the publication of monitoring data on the occupancy of Whitehall offices, which was paused ahead of the general election
