Civil servants are reportedly faking their office attendance, with some working from home for years on end. According to whistleblowers, certain mandarins have been driving to car parks near their offices to register their presence on the internal Wi-Fi before returning home. This practice, known as a 'drive-by log-in', has become particularly common at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
HMRC under fire
The tax collection department has faced significant criticism over its customer service standards. A report last year revealed that HMRC abruptly ended calls from 44,000 customers who had been waiting 70 minutes for assistance. Despite official statistics showing rising office occupancy at HMRC since Labour took power, insiders claim that some offices resemble the 'Mary Celeste' on Fridays, with staff flouting the three-day-a-week attendance rule.
Whistleblower accounts
An HMRC official told the Telegraph: 'You can go years at a time without seeing certain colleagues.' The newspaper also found that approximately 4,000 of the department's 70,500 staff (5.6 per cent) had been away from the office for six months or more, though this figure includes holidays and sick leave. At the Land Registry, around 200 employees had been absent for half a year or longer.
Political reaction
Reform's Danny Kruger called for an immediate investigation into productivity and workplace culture at both HMRC and the Land Registry. He stated: 'This is part of a general problem, especially in departments like these that don't answer directly to ministers. The Civil Service has grown by 20 per cent in the last 10 years to over half a million people – many of whom are clearly not delivering for the taxpayer.'
Government response
A government spokesman defended the current policy, saying: 'We are clear that a minimum of 60 per cent office attendance remains the best option for our staff and the public. This data represents a fraction of staff and includes people on long-term sickness, maternity leave and those who work in other locations or deliver services on the front line as part of their work. Attendance is managed within teams, and managers have our full support to initiate disciplinary proceedings if necessary.'
