‘Big Brother’ move denounced

The PCS civil service union has denounced a “Big Brother-style development” following reports that Cabinet Office staff will be placed under computer surveillance in a homeworking crackdown.


In September, The Telegraph reported that civil servants had been notified that their “compliance” with office working would be monitored through their use of Cabinet Office computers in a drive by the government to get staff on-site four days a week in line with pre-pandemic levels.


PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka described the move as “a worrying Big Brother-style development that we fear could be used to victimise our members who work from home rather than in the office”.


And he pointed to “the demonstrable success of our members working efficiently and productively at home during the pandemic”.


Meanwhile, the Prospect specialists’ union hit back at an attack by Jacob Rees-Mogg, reported in The Times, on civil servants’ use of flexible working to “skive off”.


In one of his last acts as minister for government efficiencies, The Times said Rees-Mogg (now business secretary), had warned departments against the “overuse” of flexi-time and called for an audit on the extent of its use.


Prospect general secretary Mike Clancy said: “It’s quite rich for a minister whose government has been AWOL all summer, while we face the greatest cost-of-living crisis for a generation, to accuse others of skiving.”