Overview

• The head of the civil service, Sir Chris Wormald, affirmed the three-day-a-week office requirement, stating it strikes the right balance between collaboration and flexibility.
• A survey of 7,000 civil servants found that 78% believe the rule is unhelpful, with 61% reporting reduced productivity and no improvement in team collaboration.
• Unions have criticized the policy as fostering a 'culture of presenteeism,' advocating for more flexible, hybrid working arrangements tailored to specific teams.
• Staff complaints include overcrowded offices, unreliable technology for hybrid meetings, and difficulty finding suitable workspaces for collaboration or calls.
• Despite widespread dissatisfaction, civil service leaders maintain the policy to support in-person relationship building and the training of new recruits.