All Government roles to be 60% on-site

[northernladuk]

Where did you see this please?

I tried Google and saw something along those lines for civil servants. Can't see anything about contractors and suppliers.
Thanks.

They won't (and can't) mandate to contractors and suppliers. Depends on the work and the contract. I'd expect most will be asked to do the same as the rest of the workforce out of professional courtesy but I'd expect a lot more flexibility on a case by case basis.

[BigDataPro]

Where did you see this please?

I tried Google and saw something along those lines for civil servants. Can't see anything about contractors and suppliers.


Thanks.

This is true. You can see them being mentioned for almost all roles @ https://www.civilservicejobs.service.gov.uk/ . Pretty much most of the roles are hybrid and expect you to be on-site for 3 days per week.

These are their standard wordings

...operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata,(averaged over a month) working at one of <dept> locations (<list of cities>). Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate <dept> site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs...

[BlueSharp]

I know some senior management in the home office (no pun intended) and it has been mandated that 60% on-site is required. I would expect it applies to inside contractors as well.

[BigLadFromBeeston666]

Don't know if people were aware of this but I wasn't.

Apparently all roles working for government departments have to be 60% hybrid from April. So unless you are local it's going to be a bit hard to do considering most of these roles are inside IR35.

For Outside contractors, this doesn't apply. At least, in one government organisation, I know for sure.

[avonleigh]

Where did you see this please?

I tried Google and saw something along those lines for civil servants. Can't see anything about contractors and suppliers.


Thanks.

An agent told me yesterday, I googled it and seems like it was mooted back in November.

[rocktronAMP]

An agent told me yesterday, I googled it and seems like it was mooted back in November.

I am going to try to limit my travel day to London in the central gov office to once a month. It might be difficult. As consultants, one of us lives north of Birmingham and other live down South coast, Hove etc. I first heard of heard civil services returning back to office at the Home Office way back in 2022, that my then product test manager was mandated into the office was 40% of the time. They are based in Northumbria and worked 3 weeks remote and then worked in 2 weeks in the London, 2 Marsham Street. When they stayed in London it was with family, so it was doable, but not for everyone... I'd expect some push back

What effect is this news happening post The Great Resignation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Resignation ?
Or is it the long-tail of the Great Resignation still continuing? If it is then civil servants might then consider their job beyond April.
It will be hard thing to give up a full or nearly pension to find a new gig is a depressed economy, but maybe the higher ups (Head of Test/ Head of Eng/ Head of Delivery level) it is on the cards.

[Lance]

An agent told me yesterday

Must be gospel then.

[b0redom]

I was told this was going to happen about a month after starting an inside contract last year. As I live in W. London, and the dept I'm currently working in is based in Newcastle, there is zero chance it's going to happen. Even if I did drag myself into the overcrowded airless offices in London I'd be the only person from my team there, so the whole thing is pointless.

If/when it comes to a head, I've been quite open about the fact I'll be off.

[oliverson]

I sat an online Speed Awareness Course at the weekend, delivered via Zoom and the one thing that occurred to me was how ridiculous everybody's 'working from home' setup was, especially compared to mine, which is world class. All these people squatting in broom cupboards, dining rooms and corridors, etc., are no doubt the sames ones claiming they are MORE PRODUCTIVE working from home. In actual fact they are stealing from their employers.

The reality is that after 100% WFH, nobody wants to get up on a cold dark morning, hack the ice off their car and make their way through traffic jams to try get to their desk at an ungodly hour. I'm one of them. But fortunately I do have this fantastic setup, a client that has always been 100% WFH and always will be. I'm also old and I've earned my stripes both in my field of expertise and putting in the desk duty for around 40 years. So for me, being effective 100% WFH is the reality and I doubt I'll return to the office anytime soon, if ever. BUT, for the vast majority of people with tulip home setups, who have still to learn their craft, get back in the f***ing office most of the time!

[agentzero]

There are good reasons why people should fight against this. We've fought this using common sense.

People are based all over the UK in many departments. The best and most sought talent aren't all sitting outside public sector buildings waiting to come in. The current 60% office working mandate sees compliant robots go to their nearest gov UK office and sit on Teams meetings all day with people not on their project and people they don't know.

For London centric roles inside IR35 are people here - NorthernladUK, seriously suggesting people should obey this mandate without protest? On my projects we would have to change people to second rate contractors for sure if we went down this route and still hear complaints about travel expenses.

The roles many contractors and consultants are doing aren't the same as permanent staff but are defined as inside IR35.

If you are a mug, go in to the office. If you're at the top of your game but stuck inside IR35 you should not be pandering to these 60% office working mandates and should actively be complaining. One person refusing out of one hundred will see that person managed out. Ninety people complaining out of one hundred and not adhering to the 60% rule will have a real effect.

If you're not a proper contractor then sure, roll over, but if you are in the top third of contractors there is no way you should be accepting this. Most people I work with (90% + ) are not accepting it and not going in unless for critical meetings where other project workers are in at the same site.

Going back to the old days of bums on seats and not even in the same office, sitting on Teams all day, might suit the desperate, but just get a permanent job near your home and stop delaying the inevitable.