The United Kingdom Government has ordered Public Servants working from home to get back to their offices, calling for a rapid return to “full occupancy”.
The announcement sets up a clash with public sector unions who have warned against a headlong rush back to workplaces with COVID-19 cases still high.
Unions also want to negotiate permanent work-from-home arrangements for officers who want it.
However, Minister for the Cabinet Office, Steve Barclay said it was important to maximise the use of office space.
“Now we are learning to live with COVID, we need to move away from a reliance on video meetings and get back to the benefits of face-to-face, collaborative working,” Mr Barclay said.
He urged Ministers to make sure their offices were working at full capacity as soon as possible.
Mr Barclay’s call was echoed by Head of the Public Service, Alex Chisholm, who has written to leaders across Whitehall asking them to support a significant and swift return of staff to the workplace.
The Government move, which is also designed to provide a boost to city centre businesses, comes as companies providing flexible office space report a rise in demand as more organisations adopted hybrid working patterns.
However, the Public and Commercial Services union said it was demanding that Departments consult unions and health and safety representatives on any plans for a return to workplaces.
There was also resistance from the FDA, representing senior Public Servants, which believes the world of work has changed for good.
General Secretary of the FDA, Dave Penman said the announcement had more to do with moving attention away from Prime Minister, Boris Johnson’s troubles than how the Public Service operated.
“All the evidence shows that across the economy, hybrid working is being embraced, delivering efficiencies for employers and flexibility for employees,” Mr Penman said.
“Despite this, Ministers are clinging to an ideology of presenteeism that demonstrates they are out of touch with how the world of work has changed since the pandemic began,” he said.
London, 24 January 2022
