The true scale of Whitehall’s working from dwelling tradition is laid naked at present as figures reveal that one in 5 desks has been eliminated just lately.
There have been greater than 27,000 desks throughout the principle Authorities buildings earlier than Covid struck.
However there at the moment are fewer than 22,000, a fall of greater than 5,000 in lower than three years, an audit by The Day by day Mail has found.
The reductions got here as departments closed down workplaces to save cash or to restrict contact throughout the pandemic.
Figures reveal that one in 5 desks has been eliminated just lately throughout the principle Authorities buildings in Whitehall
But lots of the Whitehall ministries’ headquarters are nonetheless lower than two-thirds full whilst their dimension has shrunk and the workforce has grown, and lengthy after social-distancing restrictions had been lifted.
It means hundreds of civil servants are allowed to proceed working from dwelling a number of days every week, regardless of public complaints about backlogs and poor service, with ‘hybrid’ insurance policies launched throughout lockdown now made everlasting.
Former minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, who whereas on the Cupboard Workplace led the drive to get workers again to their desks, mentioned: ‘The present state of affairs is extraordinarily costly and inefficient.
‘What I used to be saying to departments was that they’ll’t renew workplace leases after they weren’t utilizing their current area. They’re being sluggish at this.’
He mentioned if workers weren’t going into the workplace then it raised the query of whether or not they had been actually crucial.
‘The easiest way to scale back civil service numbers is to work out if folks don’t come into the workplace then they may not be wanted in any respect,’ he added.
Mr Rees-Mogg referred to as on ministers to ‘preserve the stress up’ on decreasing the workforce, saying that Boris Johnson’s goal of chopping 91,000 civil service posts – since dropped by Rishi Sunak – needs to be reinstated.
The most important fall (1,342) was on the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP), which went from 2,333 to 991 at its Caxton Home head workplace
John O’Connell, chief govt of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, added: ‘Taxpayers will probably be inspired to see some departments shifting priceless workplace area.
‘However with service requirements slipping and workplace area shrinking, these occupancy figures are arduous to justify.
‘If civil servants can’t ship from dwelling, they need to get off their beds and get again to their desks.’
Information obtained underneath the Freedom of Data Act from 14 of the largest ministries present that they had 27,004 desks between them in January 2020, simply earlier than Covid struck.
By November 2022 that determine had fallen to 21,641, a drop of 5,353.
The most important fall (1,342) was on the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP), which went from 2,333 to 991 at its Caxton Home head workplace.
The DWP – just lately criticised for ‘unacceptably excessive’ fraud and error in advantages funds totalling £8.6billion final yr – defined: ‘In 2022, three flooring had been decommissioned (Floor, Flooring 1 and Flooring 7) and DWP are working with the Authorities Property Company to guage sub-letting choices for the flooring.’
Nevertheless, the newest workplace occupancy figures revealed by the Cupboard Workplace present that solely 61 per cent of DWP workers had been within the constructing at the beginning of December, falling to only 29 per cent within the week of the rail strike.
Present job adverts for apprenticeships state that even at HM Treasury, ‘we’re transferring to a mannequin of working the place our folks break up their time working within the workplace and dealing from dwelling’
On the HQ of the Division for Training (DfE) in Sanctuary Buildings, desk numbers have fallen by 1,271 from 2,371 to 1,100
The proportion is calculated by dividing the day by day variety of workers within the constructing by its present capability, so reveals {that a} discount in desks has not led to a extra crowded office.
On the HQ of the Division for Training (DfE) in Sanctuary Buildings, desk numbers have fallen by 1,271 from 2,371 to 1,100.
It mentioned: ‘Most of our websites, together with London, are supplemented with extra work settings, growing the accessible occupancy. Examples of this are drop down desks, collaboration areas, formal/casual assembly areas, quiet areas.
‘The desk capability for London, over the previous two years, has been lowered to 1,100 as our workplace we’ve welcomed new tenants into the constructing and plenty of flooring have been closed to undertake important upkeep work.’
The DfE constructing was 68 per cent full at the beginning of December, falling to 34 per cent when union motion meant prepare providers had been cancelled.
One other 1,008 desks have been misplaced on the Division for Worldwide Commerce, which merged its 4 London buildings right into a single location final yr, together with 809 on the Division for Enterprise, which mentioned it was ‘actively adapting its method to area administration to make sure it stays versatile and accommodates its location technique’.
A current Parliamentary reply revealed that Division for Enterprise workers can ‘solely work as much as a most of 60 per cent of their time at dwelling over a four-week interval, on the situation that enterprise wants are prioritised’ and that ‘on common, most workers work at the very least 2 days every week, every week in an workplace’.
The Ministry of Justice says ‘versatile working is inspired, and you need to count on to earn a living from home for at the very least two days every week’
Present job adverts for apprenticeships state that even at HM Treasury, ‘we’re transferring to a mannequin of working the place our folks break up their time working within the workplace and dealing from dwelling’.
The Ministry of Justice says ‘versatile working is inspired, and you need to count on to earn a living from home for at the very least two days every week’.
In current proof to a choose committee inquiry on Authorities estates, a commerce union representing hundreds of civil servants mentioned ministers couldn’t cease the transfer in direction of hybrid working.
The Public and Industrial Companies union mentioned: ‘Ministers can’t cease the elemental adjustments that hybrid working are bringing.
‘It’s clear that the majority of workers, until there are explicit operational causes in any other case, will work a part of the week from dwelling.’
The Authorities is supposed to be transferring 22,000 roles out of London by 2030 as a part of the levelling-up agenda – however workforce figures present that way more at the moment are based mostly within the capital.
In March 2020, 91,660 civil servants had been London-based, rising to 101,930 the next yr and 104,830 in March 2022.
A Authorities spokesman mentioned: ‘There may be complete settlement throughout authorities on there being clear advantages from face-to-face, collaborative working.
‘That’s the reason we proceed to see constructing occupancy at pre-pandemic ranges.’
