Naked civil servants highlight dangers of not having clear codes of conduct

The stripped-down high jinks of civil servants at the Rural Standards Agency are a wake-up call to all employers who do not have clear codes of conduct, according to legal experts.

Last week, a whistleblower at the agency, which is in charge of handing out £2bn of subsidies to farmers, told how civil servants were caught on CCTV leaping naked out of cupboards; hid cups of sick for their colleagues to find; and held breakdancing competitions at work.

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The agency said it would not tolerate this sort of behaviour and so far had sacked one junior member of staff.

Richard Yeomans, employment partner at Addleshaw Goddard, said the case highlighted the need for clear codes of conduct and equal opportunities policies that set out what is acceptable behaviour.