The Covid-19 pandemic triggered a huge change in working patterns across the world, with many employees working from home regularly for the first time. In the UK civil service, hybrid working pre-dated the pandemic and had been becoming more common, but went to another level in 2020, becoming the "new normal".
In November 2023, ministers attempted to recalibrate this, mandating that most civil servants should be based in the office for at least 60% of their working week.
The Labour government, which kept this policy in place after winning power last year, has said the approach is “comparable to other large private and public sector employers”.
But how does it compare to public administrations around the world?
To kick off this exploration of hybrid working policies across the globe, let's start on home territory, reminding ourselves of the latest situation in the UK government, and seeing how this compares to the devolved Scottish and Welsh governments and the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
UK government
UK government guidance says most civil servants working a five-day week need to spend three days working from a government building or out and about on official business, such as visiting stakeholders.
Senior managers are asked to go further and spend more than 60% of their time in-office, while departments can make exceptions – for example for staff who have disabilities or childcare responsibilities, and where offices do not have the capacity to meet the directive. The DWP, for example, has asked senior civil servants to come into the office for 60% of their week since early 2024, and those at grades AA to Grade 6 to work in-office for 40% of their week due to space constraints – but is now moving to 60% for all grades.
Explaining the thinking behind the UK government's approach, the Cabinet Office said in October: “Heads of departments across government agreed that the civil service is best able to deliver for the people it serves by taking a consistent approach to in office working. The approach will allow teams and departments to maximise the benefits of hybrid working and getting the best from being together.”
They added: “Leaders from across departments commit to continue to listen to staff, to adapt to individual needs where specific changes may be required, and ensure the approach continues to meet business needs.”
The policy has been roundly slammed by unions. When it was first announced in November 2023, Mark Serwotka, the then general secretary of the PCS union, described the 60% rule as "arbitrary" and symptomatic of a "regressive" government, while FDA general secretary Dave Penman said it had been "plucked out of thin air".
Penman's union, which represents senior civil servants, recently conducted a survey of more than 7,000 officials on the 60% mandate. Four in five respondents told the poll they believe the policy has been a failure. In light of the findings, the FDA has called for a comprehensive review of the 60% mandate, “with a view to creating a more flexible approach which takes into account whether a piece of work can be best completed in person or remotely, rather than a blanket mandate”.
In some departments, these concerns have led to industrial action. The Office for National Statistics in April 2024 set a requirement of 40% – below the government-wide mandate. However, previously ONS staff could decide how much of their working time to spend in the office and how much at home. Dissatisfaction with the change has led to PCS members taking action short of strike, including recently moving to 0% office working, in protest at the change.
At the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, more than 1,000 officials walked out on 1 September as part of PCS's dispute over the department’s attendance policies and other concerns.
Scottish Government (Riaghaltas na h-Alba)
The Scottish Government allows officials in roles which are "suitable" for hybrid working to deliver work from home, in addition to time spent at their office base. Currently, civil servants are asked to attend the office for at least one day per week.
However, the Scottish Government announced internally to officials on 7 May that staff in hybrid-compatible roles will be asked to work in-person for 40% of their month from October onwards. Staff who wish to be based in the office all the time were reminded that they can continue to do so.
Published Freedom of Information documents containing written conversations between senior leaders include a note on 27 May which says the Executive Team "decided the model of 40% in-person working helps to strengthen these connections and provides a sufficient balance between individual flexibility to work from home, with a need to collaborate in-person".
The note also says that the details of the policy are to be consulted on with trade unions over the summer and that they were hoping to have completed them by the summer recess. CSW understands these details have now been confirmed and published internally.
Another FOI document says staff who have existing home-working arrangements or reasonable adjustments in place will be able to continue with those arrangements, and that any officials facing “significant barriers” to working in person 40% of the time can discuss potential adjustments with their line manager.
The FOI documents also revealed that the Scottish Government's “ultimate” hybrid-working goal is for 60% in-office attendance. An email written on behalf of John Swinney, the first minister, on 17 March says the head of the Scottish Government "feels 40% remains on the very low side and wonders what consideration was given to 50% or 60%".
A response from Scottish Government perm sec Joe Griffin on 24 March says: "We are continuing to actively engage [trade unions] on the implementation plans and plan to be transparent with them from the outset that 60% is the ultimate aim."
It also sets out that an internal review "found no firm evidence of an optimal weighting", that "the organisational context tends to be the key determinant" and that, "in that sense, it is very much a matter of leadership judgement". And it says that the Executive Team "is clearly of the view that a 60% requirement is best". However, Griffin also pointed out that neither 5 Atlantic Quay nor St. Andrew’s House were at that point able to accommodate a move to 60%.
The perm sec added that the Executive Team is not planning to mandate October's move to 40%, pointing out that, in the UK government, many departments have not managed to meet in-office expectation, partly due to estate constraints, despite a policy of mandation which "has significantly affected employee relations in Whitehall".
Welsh Government (Llywodraeth Cymru)
Similarly, Welsh Government ministers have set a target for civil servants of attending offices for 40% of their working week.
Unlike the UK government, they have not mandated these attendance levels, and recent comments from Welsh minister Eluned Morgan suggest the government is struggling to achieve its target.
The daily average office attendance in the Welsh Government’s 20 offices was 16% in March, and ministers have launched a review of estate needs its two Powys-based offices – Llandrindod Wells and Newtown – which had an average attendance of 12% and 22% respectively.
Speaking at First Minister’s Questions in the Senned last month,Morgan said the review was launched “partly because of the change in the way that people work, and we can't justify continuing to hold offices open if people don't turn up”.
She added: “It is important that we encourage people to come into work, we are encouraging them to come in, but clearly there will come a point where you have to say, ‘if you don't turn up, we cannot justify keeping this particular office open’.”
The Welsh Government’s State of the Estate report for 2023-24, published in May, says "offices remained underoccupied", and that a high proportion of officials are now working remotely "on a regular basis". It says the government has been increasing the amount of spaces allocated to public sector tenants to address the under-occupation, with more offices spaces being used as public sector hubs.
Civil service unions have said they have no reason to believe the current arrangements are not working. Responding to Morgan's comments, FDA national officer Jane Runeckles said: "Work is what you do, not where you do it. The world of work has changed, and the Welsh Government should take pride in the fact it has taken a leading role in this."
Northern Ireland Civil Service (Státseirbhís Thuaisceart Éireann; Norlin Airlann Cïvil Sarvice)
NICS, on the other hand, is now mandating attendance levels, recently updating its guidance to say that “staff engaged in hybrid working must attend their designated workplace for at least 40% of their contractual working hours each week”.
In a statement earlier this month, the Department of Finance said the NICS office estate “can accommodate the hybrid-working policy workplace attendance requirements, which will be managed locally by departments/business areas”.
A DoF spokesperson added that the updated policy "will be implemented across all NICS departments during September 2025 with full implementation expected by end of October 2025".
The announcement followed a review of the hybrid working policy, which the DoF said included formal consultation with recognised trade unions.
The Nipsa trade union has opposed the change, saying it “will continue to monitor the imposition and ensure that there is flexibility particularly for those staff with disabilities or who need adjustment and flexibility for other reasons”. It also said the plan should be delayed "to allow for proper preparation and communication".
Back in May, Sharon Smyth, the deputy secretary for construction and procurement delivery in the DoF, suggested her department may go even further in an evidence session held by Northern Ireland Assembly’s Committee for Finance.
She told MLAs that 50% office attendance was her team’s planning baseline for NICS, while most departments were aiming for 40%. She also made clear that NICS does not have enough space to accommodate civil servants working from the office 80% of the time.
Keep a look out for the next edition of Home/Office, where we’ll take a look at one of the UK's nearest neighbours