Despite a huge effort by politicians to encourage employees back to their desks, the majority of Whitehall departments still have more than a third of open spaces.
Due to the hundreds of federal officials who continue to work from home, the most recent official statistics reveal that 12 of the 19 major government departments were less than 67% occupied at the beginning of the month.
Despite their critical role in implementing sanctions against Russia and attempting to amend the Brexit deal, the Foreign Office’s headquarters in King Charles Street was the least crowded, with only four out of ten officials present.
Only half of the Home Office, which oversees the government’s policy of sending migrants to Rwanda, was occupied (51 per cent occupied).
In spite of mounting concerns about how long tax authorities are taking to answer the phone, HMRC did not fare any better, scoring 53%.
In the week beginning June 27, only the Department for Trade (79%) and the Ministry of Defense were more than three-quarters full (80 per cent).
They must return to work, former Conservative Party leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said in the Daily Mail. There is no defence.
Despite senior ministries attempting to eradicate the “WFH” attitude that developed during lockdown, the figures are still present.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, a Cabinet Office minister who created the HQ occupancy league table, started prowling offices and posting comments on vacant workstations.
Nevertheless, as the Mail has reported, a number of government organizations have covertly decided to use “hybrid” working schedules this year that simply call for employees to be present two days a week.
Simon Case, director of the civil service, said during a recent MP questioning that “it is crucial” that taxpayer funds be used as efficiently as possible.
But he also stated, “Hybrid working has been an integral component of the Civil Service’s working model for a decade.”
The number of public officials working from offices is rising throughout Whitehall, according to a government spokeswoman. But there is still work to be done.