So, the civil servants are at it again. Or rather they’re not, as they’re still “working” from home, painting their toenails, doing the laundry, watching reruns of Deal or No Deal and sequencing automated email replies. As if it wasn’t enough that they’re complaining about having to go back to the office three days a week, civil servants have launched a campaign for a four-day week with no loss of pay following a successful trial in the private sector. Staff working in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) have called for a pilot scheme involving more than 21,000 employees, claiming it would benefit their productivity and wellbeing (even though civil servants working for Defra already benefit from flexible working arrangements, including flexible hours and work from home).
Last month Whitehall finally issues a WFM directive, telling civil servants to go back to the office for three days a week, triggering a backlash from some staff who claimed it was such an outrageous ask that they were considering quitting. Now, the call for a shorter working week has been made after a six-month trial involving 61 companies, a period in which their revenues all increased. What’s good for the private sector is good for the public, apparently. Mark Serwotka, the general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, which is belligerently spearheading the campaign, says, “Evidence suggests a four-day week would lead to a better work-life balance for staff and could improve productivity for the employer. If Defra wants to seriously address the issues of employee burnout, stress and poor wellbeing they will listen to our members and implement this pilot.”
Which is obviously a load of old nonsense. Having delivered a petition to bosses in Whitehall, a union representative apparently said, “We wouldn’t be doing it if our members weren’t telling us to,” they said.
The fundamental problem with this ask is that it’s difficult to find anyone to agree that places like HMRC are as productive as they were four years ago, before Covid. The financial advisor of one of my business partners says they haven’t spoken to anyone from the tax office since before we went into lockdown. “It’s impossible,” she said, sounding grateful that someone was actually listening to her. “They are so difficult to get hold of that you start to question your sanity. You start thinking you must have done something wrong, whereas in reality they’re probably off playing golf or watching YouTube.”
The working from home situation appears to be getting worse
This is the third time I’ve written about the civil service’s reluctance to re-enter the working week with any genuine enthusiasm, and the situation appears to be getting worse, not better. Why on earth working from home should be a divine right is beyond me, especially when these people are servants of the state. But then I suppose we must be grateful we’re not living in France, where working in any capacity is viewed with great suspicion by even right-thinking citizens.
In case anyone thinks I’m being hysterical, here is the story of my mother-in-law’s probate and the Ministry of Justice. Margaret died on November 10th 2020 at 4pm. Her widow, John, my father-in-law, had meticulously prepared her (and his own) paperwork in advance and this duly went to our probate solicitors Steele Rose in Salisbury, Wiltshire in December. They filed for probate by Christmas 2020.
Probate was eventually granted eight months later on exactly the same day John died, 19th August, 2021. My wife was told that owing to this unusual situation, Margaret’s probate license was recalled and so the process for John’s own probate started in September 2021. At the time, frustrated by the process, my wife was told by Steele Rose that it was impossible to speak to anyone in the Government’s Probate office. During Covid they responded to emails but not in a timely fashion, and once Covid was passed they reverted to receiving (but not sending) letters.
Time moved on and even though my wife kept asking for updates, there were none. This vacuum of frustration and chasing continued until Spring 2023 when John’s probate was finally granted (nearly two years after his death). My mother-in-law’s followed two months later in early summer, nearly three years after her death. My wife prepared to close this matter once and for all but was then told that HMRC were auditing the account as they believed the inheritance was incorrect. Even though the independent auditor for both probates has to respond within 16 weeks and cannot be contacted, this is not due to be finalised until February 2024, and even then there is no guarantee.
This experience has been cruel
To say this experience has been deeply inefficient is an understatement. It has been cruel and caused huge pain for both my wife and her siblings. My father-in-law was a very organised man and would be devastated and furious if he knew what had happened. How can we say we are a first world country when we treat our tax paying dead in such a shameless way with no regard for families’ feelings? Three years and counting is a ridiculous time to wait. My wife heard an interview on Radio 4 recently with somebody from the Probate Office talking about the effects of Covid and how they were now dealing with all matters within 9-12 weeks. Which is obviously not true. Try waiting over 160 weeks.
On top of this, there is absolutely no recourse as the ombudsman has no jurisdiction over government departments.
We are lobbying hard at the Evening Standard for there to be some kind of government directive which forces people to get back to the office, although every time we write an editorial questioning the “mental health” issue (you can be as bad tempered in the office as you are at home, would be my estimation), we are lambasted by WFH converts. None of this especially bothers me, of course, as it means that at least people are taking notice; although I’m starting to get a bit concerned that the only MPs who are taking up the cudgel look an awful lot like Jacob Rees-Mogg, which really won’t do at all. And while a spokesman for the government has said that “There are no plans for this... and value for money should be provided to the taxpayer,” Rees-Mogg is still stalking around, visibly waving travel cards in the air.
So, to save my acute embarrassment, it would be enormously appreciated at the Evening Standard HQ if everyone could get back to work — in the office — as soon as possible.
Many thanks, and Happy Christmas.
