The Office for National Statistics (ONS) lost a dispute after trying to mandate employees to come into the office a few days a week, the Daily Mail reports.
The two-year-long battle ended on April 8 after ONS finally gave in, but not before employees threatened to go on strike. Unions like the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) praised the “breakthrough,” claiming it’s the first time an in-office mandate has been broken.
“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,” General Secretary Fran Heathcote said. “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 reps and the value of trade unionism.”The agreement eliminates the individual office-attendance policy, which required employees to come into the office 40% of the time. Instead, the new agreement only asks ONS employees to come to
the office when there is a “clear, purposeful need.” Employees who don’t abide by the rules will only be disciplined in cases of “persistent and unreasonable non-compliance.”“We want to see more staff coming into our offices, while also recognizing the unique challenges that the ONS has faced,” an ONS spokesperson said in a statment.
According to The Telegraph, ONS faced several data issues, including problems with the accuracy of the jobs market and inflation figures. In addition, the institution decided to cut back on some activities to focus on core national statistics. Such problems prompted PCS to launch a campaign with four ballots of members to oppose the in-office requirement.
With the new agreement in place, the union feels “it provides clarity and a more mature framework that supports effective collaboration and productivity, reflecting the wide variety of work that our staff undertakes.”
Companies have pushed forth efforts to force employees to return to the office, but with mixed results. Data show that remote work increases
productivity and makes employees overall happier. A four-year study from the University of South Australia revealed that remote work not only improves productivity but also fosters better sleep, healthier eating habits, and a stronger work-life balance.RELATED CONTENT: Former New York Mob Prosecutor Calls For Larry Hoover’s Release: ‘He’s Grown Up’