Sunday 7 August 2022 12:49 PM Jacob Rees-Mogg launches probe into 'flexitime' deals for civil servants ... trends now
Jacob Rees-Mogg has vowed to crack down on 'flexitime' working arrangements in the civil service whereby government employees can work around five hours less than the national weekly average, often remotely and with full-time pay.
The minister for government efficiency demanded an official Whitehall-wide review of the arrangement, which he said is likely wasting taxpayers' money.
Flexitime allows civil servants to dictate their own start and end times, provided they are working across core hours in the middle of the day and completing 37.5 hours of work per week, and entitles them to considerable overtime pay.
An average work week in the UK stands at 42.5 hours, according to a report by the European Union's statistical office, Eurostat.
Some workers have spoken of the benefits of the system which they say helps them to achieve a better work-life balance.
But MPs have accused flexitime workers of shirking responsibilities, resulting in 'poor end products' for people who rely on government services.
The minister for government efficiency demanded an official Whitehall-wide review of the arrangement, which he said is likely wasting taxpayers' money
Rees-Mogg's decision to launch a probe into flexitime working in the civil service comes as the Daily Mail revealed that hundreds of civil servants will never have to return to the office after being allowed to work from home permanently
'Working around others is good for everyone and will mean more job satisfaction for civil servants,' Rees-Mogg told The Telegraph yesterday.
'That is why I am asking the Cabinet Office to report on the extent of flexitime and asking secretaries of state to do the same in their departments.'
Conservative MP Philip Davies meanwhile spoke of backlogs in key government departments and pointed the finger at flexitime work.
'Whether it's passports, driving licences, visas, the whole thing has been pretty poor... we can't have these kinds of working practices when the end product for so many people who rely on them is so poor,' he said.
The Cabinet Office said: 'While the vast majority of civil servants do not have flexitime working agreements, such
