Whitehall lawyers have spent approximately £4 million of taxpayer money on purchasing new laptops, tablet computers and mobile phones to help them work from home. The Telegraph has more.
The Government Legal Department (GLD) has purchased thousands of remote working devices for its staff since 2021, including 560 mobile phones, 2,135 new laptops and 10 tablet computers, according to data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The figures, requested by Griffin Law, emerged as ministers continue in their battle to get Whitehall staff back into the office at least 60% of the time – three days a week for full-time staff – over fears that home working has reduced productivity. …
Earlier this month it emerged that civil servants at Britain’s official statistics body had threatened to go on strike after being asked to work in the office for two days a week. …
Donal Blaney, the founder of Griffin Law, argued that civil servants were “milking the Government’s overly generous remote working policies”.
Read more: Taxpayer Spends £4 Million on Government Lawyers’ Home Working Equipment