By Greg Heffer, Political Correspondent For Mailonline Published: 06:37 EDT, 22 September 2024 | Updated: 08:56 EDT, 22 September 2024
Rachel Reeves believes she ‘leads by example’ by turning up to her Treasury office amid reports Labour is ditching efforts to force civil servants back to their workplaces.The Chancellor said that staff benefited from ‘coming together’ in an office to work ‘collaboratively’ as she put herself at odds with one of her Cabinet colleagues.Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds recently criticised a ‘culture of presenteeism’ in Britain’s workplaces as he insisted a default right of flexible working will boost productivity.He also hit out at Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, one of his Tory predecessors, for the ‘bizarre’ approach of ‘declaring war on people working from home’. Rachel Reeves (pictured out running today) said that staff benefited from ‘coming together’ in an office to work ‘collaboratively’ as she put herself at odds with one of her Cabinet colleagues.It has recently been reported that Labour ministers are quietly ignoring rules requiring civil servants to be in the office three days a week.But, speaking to the Sunday Times, Ms Reeves stressed the benefits of workers being in the same building.’I think I lead by example,’ the Chancellor – who lives in Downing Street above her office – told the newspaper.’The first weekend after Labour won the election, I turned up in the Treasury straight after I was appointed by Keir as chancellor and worked through the evening.’Then we were all in the office all day Saturday, all day Sunday. We weren’t doing it on Zoom … I do think people coming together and working together collaboratively promotes ideas.’Sir Jacob, when he was a Cabinet minister, led a government drive to get civil servants back to their Whitehall offices after the Covid pandemic.This included conducting personal headcounts of officials in some departments and also leaving ‘sorry you were out when I visited’ notes for staff not at their desks.Mr Reynolds recently blasted Sir Jacob for ‘declaring war on people working from home’.’That’s pretty bizarre given the economic position the country was in and the real business agenda that needs to be pursued,’ he told The Times.The Business Secretary also argued that flexible working contributes to productivity as he and Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner look to introduce an overhaul of workers’ rights in Britain.’We’ve had flexible working laws for quite some time in the UK,’ he added.’I think where people reach agreement with their employer… it does contribute to productivity, it does contribute to their resilience, their ability to stay working for an employer.’The UK has very significant regional inequality. It could play a significant contribution to tackling that.’ Ms Reeves at work in No11 Downing Street earlier this monthA rule on civil servants attending the office three days a week has not been formally changed, but Labour ministers are reported to have made little attempt to enforce it.Tory leadership candidate Kemi Badenoch recently blasted the new Government’s approach.She said: ‘I find it extraordinary that Labour are scraping the policy barrel here to find more ways of flexible working when actually we need to get more people into the workplace.’They are not learning, they’re not getting the skills at the same rate they used to, which is one of the challenges of working from home.’
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Rachel Reeves says she ‘sets an example’ by not working from home as Labour ‘ditches efforts to force civil servants back into the office’