Thousands of civil servants are shunning return to office
SCOTLAND’S civil servants have shunned a return to the office in the first week since working from home rules were scrapped, the Mail can reveal.
During a four-hour period at the start of the working day this week, just over 500 staff returned to government buildings capable of holding 10,000.
Nicola Sturgeon was yesterday urged to drop remaining working from home rules to breathe fresh life into the high street.
While social distancing means not all civil servants would be able to return, business leaders stressed the importance of office workers’ return for the economic recovery of city centres.
Liz Cameron, chief executive of the Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: ‘Town and city centre economies have been hit incredibly hard by the loss of office worker footfall over the course of the panThursday,
‘Greater certainty for businesses’
demic. Removing the remaining homeworking guidance will provide greater certainty for businesses and help to revitalise, reinvigorate and regrow our high streets, towns and city centre economies.’
The Mail carried out an audit this week on staff returning to work in government buildings in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Yesterday, at Edinburgh’s Saughton House, where almost 2,000 workers are usually based, only 17 people were seen heading into the building before 10am.
The day before, at HMRC’s Cotton House in Glasgow, only 11 people entered the building in a four-hour period.
The UK Government said its Scottish employees were following the hybrid guidance set out by Holyrood, which previously stated workers would be brought back on a ‘phased approach’.
But on the first day of hybrid working, fewer than 5 per cent of staff were seen back by 9am at the Scottish Government’s flagship offices at Victoria Quay in Edinburgh, which can hold 2,200. On Deputy First Minister John Swinney said he had no idea how many civil servants were back at their desks when the Mail’s figures were put to him by the Scottish Conservatives.
David Lonsdale, director of the Scottish Retail Consortium, said officials should set an example.
He added: ‘The rescinding of the work from home order provides an opportunity to breathe life back into city-centre retailing.
‘The UK and Scottish governments could lead the way by outlining their plans for a phased return of civil servants and quango staff back to their offices.’
Tory MSP Murdo Fraser said: ‘The SNP have overlooked the economic damage and harmful outcomes caused by home working restrictions for months.
‘That so few Government civil servants have gone back to the office could risk sending out unhelpful messages about the safety of returning to the workplace. After months of turmoil, these mixed messages from the SNP Government only risk harming the recovery of businesses.’
Kyle Ross, who owns three barber shops, including Sovereign
Grooming near UK Government offices in Edinburgh, would like the return to the office speeded up. He said: ‘The Scottish Government needs to do more and even go as far as to incentivise employers to get staff back in.’
Civil servants’ union PCS Scotland said its members have worked hard throughout the pandemic even while at home.
National officer Cat Boyd said: ‘The civil service trade unions continue to negotiate with the Scottish Government as we adapt to the changes brought to working conditions by the pandemic.’
HMRC said the Cotton House building was due to close so staff had been told they could work from home. They refused to state how many were based at the premises. A spokesman said: ‘I don’t understand the relevance.’
A UK Government spokesman said: ‘Counting officials walking in and out of buildings is not a credible data gathering process. Civil servants in Scotland are following hybrid working guidance as set by the Scottish Government.’
A spokesman for the Scottish Government said: ‘In line with the new national guidance, we are taking a gradual and phased approach to our move to hybrid working, and working from home will continue to form a significant part of the mix of most people’s arrangements.’
‘The Government needs to do more’