Working from home has ‘no impact on government productivity’ despite demands for return to office

Working from home has had no impact on government productivity, ministers have confirmed, just a year after Boris Johnson claimed staff were “eating cheese and making coffee” on the job.

The former prime minister’s government was highly critical of Whitehall civil servants working remotely, with senior ministers including Jacob Rees-Mogg demanding staff return to offices when Covid lockdown restrictions ended.

But in a sharp change of stance, Rishi Sunak’s government has embraced hybrid working, where staff work some days at home and some in the office, with ministers claiming it has “supported productive and effective working”.

Mr Johnson claimed working at home involved "getting up, walking very slowly to the fridge, hacking off a small piece of cheese, then walking very slowly back to your laptop and then forgetting what it was you’re doing".

And his efficiency minister Mr Rees-Mogg led a drive to get staff back at their desks – leaving “nasty” notes for staff not in the office – which strained relations between the government and officials.

The notes read: “Sorry you were out when I visited. I look forward to seeing you in the office very soon. With every good wish, Rt Hon Jacob Rees-Mogg MP.”

Now, in a series of responses to questions about the impact of remote working on productivity, ministers from the home office, foreign office and the departments for education and health said it had had no negative effects.

Government minister Mims Davies said research conducted “across the civil service” showed remote working had no impact on “overall productivity”.

While fellow minister Gareth Davies said: “Occupancy rate and hybrid working does not affect the department’s ability to deliver high-quality work.”

The PCS union, which represents civil servants, called on Johnson and Rees-Mogg to apologise for their “slurs” against civil servants.

General secretary Mark Serwotka said: “The attack on homeworking was always a political attempt to justify an unjustifiable attack on our hard-working members.

“This new evidence backs up what we’ve always said: that homeworking does not have any impact on productivity.

“Perhaps Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg, both of whom accused homeworkers of being lazy, should apologise for their slurs and accept they have lost the homeworking argument once and for all.”