Civil servants have spent the weekend advising each other on how to stay out of the office. In case co-conspirators thought there was any discipline in there…
Sometimes Guido looks at the Civil Service subreddit which provides rare entertainment. On Saturday one civil servant – in the office three days per week – asked for advice after his senior took issue with his novel interpretation of the 60% office attendance rule:
“I tend to do around 4 hours of a 7.5 hour day in the office, before using an early lunch to commute home. It’s not ideal, but it’s the way that works best for me seeing as I have a 40 minute commute each way and quite honestly would rather not be in the office at all. I’m an early starter, so getting in for when the office opens means I can theoretically leave by 11:00… For the past few months, I’d been being hounded by my previous manager and Director of that area, constantly asking why I’m leaving ‘early’, even though I’m achieving the 60% and following the guidance of ‘the majority’, albeit by the minimum amount… [now] the Director from my old directorate is still messaging me on teams asking why I’m leaving so early.”
Many others have chipped in since then:
Enough tips and tricks to keep getting away with it for a few more years at least. Some non-blockhead civil servants pointed out: “Doing 3 half days in office = 30% a week not 60%“. UK DOGE is ready to deal with this sort of thing…
Former leader of the SNP in Westminster Ian Blackford told Times Radio why he believes Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she spent no time in the kitchen and therefore didn’t see any of her husband’s purchases:
“She doesn’t have a passion for cooking.”