Heads of department across the Civil Service have recommitted to three-days-per-week office attendance following reports that ministers were doing little to enforce hybrid working rules.
The Cabinet Office said guidance on office attendance will remain in place, with most civil servants expected to spend at least 60% of their time at government buildings or on official business. Senior managers will continue to be expected to be in the office more than 60% of the time.
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It said guidance on civil servants’ office attendance “will not change”. Last month, reports suggested that the new Labour government was not enforcing the mandate.
Business secretary Jonathan Reynolds noted there were “real economic benefits” to more flexible working. He told The Times that promoting flexible working would increase productivity, spread economic growth across the country and boost loyalty among staff.
Last November, under the Conservatives, the Cabinet Office sent senior civil servants a letter stating that they should “set and implement an expectation of increased office-based working” to realise the “significant benefits” of working with colleagues in person, including “collaboration, innovation, and fostering a sense of community”.
Senior managers were told to provide “strong visible leadership” by spending more than 60% of their working hours in the office – equivalent to three days per week for a full-time employee.
Average monthly occupancy data for the period between July and September has been published today for departmental headquarters, with further data to be released quarterly.
It said this was a more cost-effective way of tracking the use of office space in departmental HQs, balancing the need for transparency while reducing the burden on departments collecting the data.
The figures show that across all major departments, average office attendance last month was over 70%. This ranged from 57% at the Ministry of Justice to 91% at the Cabinet Office.
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 Cabinet Office said the approach will allow teams and departments to maximise the benefits of hybrid working while “getting the best from being together”. This reflects the view of Civil Service leaders that there remain clear benefits to spending time working together face-to-face as the government delivers on its commitments.
Leaders from across departments have committed to continue to listen to staff, to adapt to individual needs where specific changes may be required, and to ensure the approach continues to meet business needs.
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