Chris Evans’s “Reign of Terror” at Telegraph towers is having consequences beyond a backlash from employees. In addition to the usual sackings, the paper is now facing an “exodus” of staff, according to whistleblowers. Guido’s newsroom moles reveal that the state of things has got so bad senior managers are now distributing flyers on every desk in the London HQ, titled “It pays to know people”. You’d hope you wouldn’t have to tell that to a room of journalists…

The flyer’s proposition is simple: staff could earn £2,000 for every new starter they bring into the Telegraph family. As well as the purple pamphlets on each desk, a large notice has also been erected at the entrance to the newsroom with the same “It pays to know people” message, and emails from Mark Musgrave their “Chief People’s Officer” have also been hitting inboxes.

There are, the mole reports, now “leaving drinks” emails from staff every week, sometimes multiple; “the frequent sound of people being “banged out” of the office, as is tradition, has become deafening.”

Whistleblowers attribute hacks abandoning ship to one major complaint: the ban on working from home. The policy was introduced after the pandemic in September 2021 and is seen as particularly nonsensical given most staff only chat online anyway. This stands in contrast to other papers, many of which have adopted a hybrid approach to work.

“The reason is ideological, and down to a lack of trust from managers of their own staff, which is why management culture and WFH is so often cited by those leaving. Ironic, though, how the Telegraph’s HR floor is always empty because they’re WFH.”

Staff are apparently exhausted, the poor dears. Meanwhile the paper’s columnists are often found filing op-eds from the comfort of their homes about the outrage of people not returning to offices…