To ask if Civil Service are really enforcing the hybrid work policy to the letter?

[Lilifer]

I hope some CIvil Service employees can help me here. I about to leave a job for a position in the civil service. My current job is 90% remote and I love the work and my team but it's s big US corporation and the holiday and time off is quite restricted compared to the civil service which I think offers s better work life balance, flexitime more annual leave etc

The civil service Job ad says their policy is 2 days in office and 3 days work from home. Problem is I live 55 miles from office and nearby parking is £25-£30 a day and there's no civil service discount becasue there's so much demand for it that there's a waiting list. I did not know that when I accepted Job and now this adds £50-60 per week to my commute bill., as well as about £40 per week on fuel.

Are there any CS employees out there who can advise me how much flexibility there is in individual departments on the hybrid policy. Do they take in to account individual Circs such as how far away people live and the likely cost to them of parking etc or is it a rigid rule set for all regardless of circs?

Am quite worried about this and am thinking of now reversing my resignation in my current job. I really really wanted this cs job and if they can allow me to work a bit less in office then I don't mind a bit of extra expense but can't justify £200-£240 per month just for parking and the same amount again for fuel.

We were told today that we're expected to spend 60% of our working week in the office. There have been a few of these recently so definitely a change in mood.

So were we told that today

Yes it’s across civil service. I go in 3 days anyway (min 2) so it doesn’t bother me but I want to see it enforced across the whole service. So many teams so it doesn’t apply to them because of x,y.z

@Umbrio

Departments are not allowed to stop transfer if they have been advertised on CS Jobs.

All recruitment should be done within the principles of the CS Commissioner’s which is the framework for fair and open recruitment.

You must work in a very compliant part of the CS!

You do know that multiple departments have cut office and desk capacity?!
Also the job role depends if out and about to off site visits etc.

As another OP stated blanket rule across 400,000 staff is never going to work and has simply been cooked up because MPs like using civil servants as scape goats whereas the reality is very different!

Dss works from home.

Whem they tried to get them all in he had to sit on the canteen!😂

Yes that’s why the email said subject to desk capacity. I’m sure it’s the decision is to do with the economy too. Perhaps if people had complied with 40 it wouldn’t have changed, but so many refused to come in as they believed they didn’t need to.

@Zanatdy but it can't be enforced across a whole service if there isn't the desk space to do it!

Most civil servants I know are not buying lunches out or going shopping in lunch breaks so doubt it will have a big impact there.

I think it depends on the service and team hence a blanket rule doesn't work! MPs are very good at moaning about civil servants in public!

The government is being very inconsistent on this.

On the one hand they want people to get back to work and allowing people to work from home can really help those with disabilities and health conditions (as well as caring responsibilities) work (and therefore pay tax).

But then they go on about getting back to the office.

They can't have it both ways.

As I said they are saying subject to desk space. If there is desk space people need to go in, just so many excuses for some teams. Claiming they don’t need to go in. We all know we can work from home ok, we did in lockdown. But if your employer wants you in x number of days then you should do it. People need to suck it up, some companies have got people back in 5 days

And some companies have gone 100% from home working!
I could understand if productivity was falling etc but it's not it's a arbitrary number done because they want more people to have a hissy fit at in person!

Past a certain grade it's also very difficult to attract the right level candidate as well from the private sector and the pay definitely isn't going to compete! So actually the flexible working policy was enabling some dept to fill difficult posts and also opening positions up more to those with caring responsibilities (be it young children or older relatives), long term conditions etc.
Sadly that progress is likely to stop because a dozen men want it their way!

@Scottishskifun I wonder what impact it will have on the number of women at SCS level in particular, I was aiming for SCS but at 4 days office working that's just too much of a sacrifice for my work/life balance I now know I can have with a family when home working, I'm more likely to seek alternatives in the private sector (in the hope of more remote working, but if not, I may as well seek more money instead). That's just me, but I'm sure it won't just be me. It feels like a very backward step from progress, especially for the less represented groups in the civil service.

It very much depends on the department.

I'm defence - I wasn't in office last week & wont be in this week as we're a department of about 50 & we have an office with 5 desks. There are people in my department that I've never met because they just don't come in.

My pal moved to Justice - He works from home permanently apart from 2 days a month when he goes to the office in London.

@hiddle I very much doubt it will just be you and sadly feels very much like going backwards. This isn't because of a reduction in productivity but literally because they want to see bums on seats!

I actually get through less workload in the office then I do at home!

My pal moved to Justice - He works from home permanently apart from 2 days a month when he goes to the office in London.

Interesting, I thought MoJ was one of the strict ones. This is what makes it so hard to job hunt because they never state overtly what is permissible in their organisations/departments.

@hiddle

I think his was advertised as Perm working from home.
He said to me that if you apply for anything marked as National then it's WFH.
He also told me that a C1 in Justice is like a band D in defence. He's got 3 C1's working under him and not one of them knows how to use Excel.

I find it laughable that parts of the CS are being forced to be so prescriptive when the govt wants the sick and disabled to get WFH jobs.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/nov/21/disabled-people-work-from-home-laura-trott-benefits

Why did you go for a job 55 miles away?

I'd be a bit annoyed if someone applied for a hybrid role where office requirements were clear, and then expected to have different arrangements made for them because they don't live near by.

A colleague told me last week that their partner is leaving their civil service job because of the new policy - they don't live in London and the office is the wrong side of London for them (and the HQ fairly recently moved to that location). I guess it was ok when it was in Central London and was once a week or whatever but 3 days a week on the wrong side of London is too much.