Working from home has made a comeback in the Civil Service since Keir Starmer’s Labour came to power, with attendance at 13 Government departments falling while the private sector goes in the opposite direction, according to analysis by the Telegraph.
Attendance at 13 Government departments has fallen from the levels recorded in the days after Sir Keir Starmer won the election, official figures show.
The Treasury, Housing and Justice departments were among those with fewer staff at their desks after just three months of Labour Government.
At the same time, the private sector is increasing the amount of time it expects employees to spend in the office.
A Telegraph analysis of 50 of Britain’s biggest companies with work-from-home policies shows staff are being told to spend 50% more time in the office on average in the past year.
It comes despite the fact that shortly after coming to power, Rachel Reeves, the Chancellor, signed off on inflation-busting pay rises of up to 6% for millions of public sector workers at a cost of £10 billion.
In contrast, average wage rises for employees in the private sector for 2024-25 were 4.7%. …
Richard Tice, the Reform Deputy Leader, who has run several property businesses, said: “We have the worst nightmare in Whitehall. Public sector spending is rising, their attendance at work is falling, and productivity is collapsing.
“This leads to a vicious circle where the Government says we need a bigger public sector. This will destroy growth and if we carry on like this, bankruptcy awaits.”
A Government spokesman pointed out that occupancy levels were higher this July to September than in the same period last year under the Conservatives.
The average attendance rate across departments from July to September last year was 57%, while this year it is 69%.
However, while Civil Service attendance has not dropped back to the lows seen during Covid, The Telegraph’s analysis suggests that the trend of returning to the office is already waning under Sir Keir.
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