Source: shutterstock_1033827661 Chris Dorney
Staff at the Office for National Statistics (ONS) represented by the PCS union have won a significant change in policy regarding office attendance, ending a protracted disagreement over hybrid working.
The PCS has hailed the deal as a pioneering success, noting it is the first time a campaign has successfully overturned individual office mandates within the civil service.
Union members at the ONS voted to end the dispute following a series of statutory ballots and months of industrial action short of a strike. The settlement was approved by 77% of voters, with a high turnout of 71%.
The tension was sparked when employees were instructed to be in the office at least 40% of the time. This move met with resistance from many staff who had taken on their roles with the understanding that remote and flexible working would remain a permanent fixture. Discussions that began in October 2025 have now resulted in a revised strategy and a set of shared principles for hybrid working.
Key features of the new arrangement:
- The 40% attendance target for individual staff members has been abolished.
- Office visits will now be determined by a genuine, purposeful need.
- Individual quotas have been replaced by a broader 40% target for the organisation as a whole.
- Disciplinary measures regarding office attendance will be reserved only for cases of persistent and unreasonable refusal to comply.
- Enhanced flexibility is guaranteed for those with caring duties, agreed workplace adjustments, or contracts that specify home-based work.
An ONS spokesperson said: “We want to see more staff coming into our offices, while also recognising the unique challenges that the ONS has faced. This settlement therefore marks an important moment as we continue to restore confidence in the organisation.
“This agreement does not remove expectations around colleagues attending the office. Instead, it provides clarity and a more mature framework that supports effective collaboration and productivity, reflecting the wide variety of work that our staff undertake. We are, therefore, confident that this will lead to increased office attendance overall.”
Fran Heathcote, general secretary at the PCS, added: “This is a landmark win for our members and shows what can be achieved when workers stand together. For the first time, a rigid office attendance mandate has been broken and replaced with a more sensible, flexible approach based on what actually works.
“This has been a long campaign and reaching a deal members could accept reflects the determination of PCS members at ONS, the hard work of their representatives, and the value of trade unionism.”
This article is based on a piece written for Personnel Today.
