The government’s announcement in October that it was maintaining the 60% office-attendance mandate was as disappointing as it was evidence free. There was no consultation with unions, which is a pity, as we were in the middle of analysing our biggest-ever survey of members – over 7,000 – on the issue of hybrid working.
The response rate itself should tell you something about the concerns civil servants have over the approach of successive governments. Labour may have shied away from the rhetoric so favoured by many in the previous Conservative administrations – from Johnson’s cheese fascination to Pelotongate to Rees-Mogg’s now infamous notes on the backs of chairs. But the political winds are still blowing in that direction and Labour ministers, I suspect, sense an Achilles’ heel over “woke from home” headlines. So, without a compelling narrative or evidence to the contrary, it’s easy just to maintain the current policy and avoid the difficult headlines.
But in reality, the reasons cited to back up the policy fall flat when examined. In our survey, 78% of respondents say they believe the 60% mandate overall has not been beneficial. Collaboration is one of the most quoted benefits and 69% of respondents indicate a belief that in-person working can bolster better relationship building and networking, with 59% agreeing that it can help create a stronger sense of community and belonging. However, only 37% of respondents feel their office work is “sometimes” purposeful, while 27% say it is “rarely” purposeful.
That’s hardly surprising when three-quarters of respondents say they are spending time in the office on virtual meetings. Members also report a lack of appropriate space in offices to do Teams calls or quiet spaces to do more thoughtful work, with a lack of meeting rooms meaning some are having to do Teams meetings for people in the same building. Nearly two-thirds of respondents say ensuring sufficient space and resources in the office is the single most important issue to improve purposeful office work.
Like much of the discussion around hybrid working, there is consensus that a balance between home and office working is ideal, but our survey shows that the 60% mandate policy does not deliver its objectives.
"There is consensus that a balance between home and office working is ideal, but our survey shows that the 60% mandate policy does not deliver its objectives"
Managers report that the policy creates unnecessary micromanagement, with many forced into monitoring attendance. Our poll includes responses from more than 2,000 managers, with 55% saying they find it challenging to manage attendance under the policy. A whopping 75% of managers disagree that the policy enhances their line management responsibility. The focus on where people work, rather than what they produce, is an inevitable outcome of such a blanket approach to hybrid working – ironic, given the criticisms around productivity. No surprise, therefore, that only 11% of respondents feel the mandate has increased productivity and 40% believe it has made it worse.
It’s clear that there is a disconnect from the stated objectives of the 60% mandate and the reality. Civil servants want effective hybrid working arrangements, not a policy that’s been determined by headlines in the Daily Mail. That means that office attendance has to have a purpose. It hardly fits the bill on productivity to commute for 90 minutes each way to sit in an open-plan office on Teams calls.
That’s why 44% of respondents in our survey indicate that they want some assurance that office days would be reserved for activities that require being in the office, with 60% supporting the concept of anchored team days.
These are not simple solutions. Anchor days may be unpopular with some, and it puts a greater demand on mangers to ensure that office days are meaningful and different. Not all jobs are as flexible, and many cannot be done in a hybrid way. That’s an issue that needs to be addressed. Workforces have always had jobs that have different requirements on timing or location. The solution should not be the lowest common denominator. Getting flexible and hybrid working right should give the civil service a competitive advantage in recruiting and retaining talent when, let’s face it, other elements of the package are unlikely to be market leading.
Our survey of more than 7,000 civil servants should be a starting point for a meaningful, evidence-based dialogue that is looking to the future, not harking back to rhetoric of the past.
Dave Penman is general secretary of the FDA union