Ministers should dial down the rhetoric on working from home

Media reports have suggested that some ministers proposed considering docking pay, or amending terms and conditions in an effort to push more civil servants back to offices.

During the pandemic a higher proportion of civil servants than usual has been working from home, however many been also at their normal place of work for the whole period. It is expected that post-pandemic more civil servants, like other workers, may adopt a hybrid working pattern with a blend of working from offices and from home, where it is appropriate.

Prospect General Secretary Mike Clancy said:

“The image being painted of civil servants in recent days could not be further from the truth. Our members, many of whom have been going in to work throughout the pandemic, want to learn the lessons of recent months to make sure that a hybrid model of work is successful in the future.

“We are working with government departments to make this a reality, and to ensure that offices are safe for people to return to, but this is not helped by ministers making threats anonymously about pay or terms and conditions in the media.

“The government has told employers across the country that returning to offices is something that needs to be negotiated with staff, it is time ministers dialled down the rhetoric and started taking their own advice.”