Ryan FowlerOffice for National Statistics (ONS) employees have decided to strike against a mandate requiring a minimum of 40% office attendance per week, amid ongoing debates over work location preferences.
Employees at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) are set to strike in response to new requirements for in-office work. A PCS trade union ballot showed that over 70% of participants support the strike, with a 50% turnout among members. This decision comes as the ONS plans to enforce a policy that staff must spend at least 40% of their working hours in the office.
An ONS spokesperson defended the policy, stating it was in “the best interests of the ONS and all our colleagues.” However, PCS union head Fran Heathcote criticised the ONS for what she described as a “heavy-handed” approach to implementing these new working plans, disregarding potential consequences and “undermining” staff goodwill.
Heathcote called for an immediate halt to the policy’s implementation, urging dialogue with the union to find a “sensible resolution” that doesn’t unfairly impact staff, particularly concerning the disregard for staff with childcare and other caring responsibilities.
The push for more in-office work aligns with broader government sentiments, where officials, including Cabinet Office minister Baroness Neville Rolfe and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, have emphasised the benefits and importance of office-based work. Despite this, the civil service’s current guidelines suggest a 60% office attendance requirement, a benchmark the ONS’s new policy seeks to underpin.
Announced in November 2023, the policy’s phase-in aims to increase workplace attendance from a minimum of 20% to 40% by April. The PCS union highlighted the significant disruption expected, especially for employees with additional responsibilities outside work, criticising the ONS’s refusal to adopt a more gradual and flexible approach.
The ballot’s outcome, with 73% favoring strike action and 84% supporting actions short of a strike, reflects widespread discontent among the half of the ONS’s unionised workforce who participated. In anticipation of potential disruptions, the ONS assures that “robust plans” are in place to maintain essential services during any industrial actions.
