Civil servants have been told to "grow up" after suggesting mandatory office working should be removed in an effort to protect them from the higher cost of living brought on by the Iran war.
The Public and Commercial Services Union, the largest union of Whitehall staff, has urged ministers to end the rule requiring them to go into office for at least three days a week.
They said the war in Iran was "pushing up costs for workers who are already struggling to make ends meet," describing office work as "out of step" with the ongoing financial pressures facing staff.
However, chief executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance, John O'Connell, hit back, saying: "The PCS claims that civil servants are poorly paid, despite Britain’s bureaucrats benefiting from higher salaries than their private sector counterparts on top of better holiday entitlements, more sick leave, and significantly more generous pensions.
"Ministers should be ignoring these demands and telling recalcitrant pen-pushers to grow up."
The crisis in the Middle East has led to an increase in petrol and diesel prices for people all over the UK, with energy bills forecast to go up by 20 per cent, along with higher food prices, according to the PCS.
The union pointed to advice from the International Energy Agency, which recommended over two weeks ago that countries reduce their energy consumption through home working to help reduce the impact of higher fuel prices.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer rejected the suggestions, with his spokesman confirming: "We [Britain] have a diverse and resilient supply. People in the UK should continue to go about their days in normal fashion."
The Public and Commercial Services Union have claimed the 60 per cent in office mandate should be scrapped due to the increased cost of living
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The general secretary of the PCS, Fran Heathcote, said the Government "must prepare to adapt its approach in response to events like this and scrap the 60 per cent mandate which would provide immediate relief to our members and help reduce costs".
The 60 per cent mandate was set by the previous Conservative government and continued to be used by Labour.
It is understood Labour does not plan to make changes to the policy, asking civil servants to spend at least three days a week in the office.
According to the Institute for Government, there were more than 500,000 civil servants at the end of 2025, the highest number in more than a decade.
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There were more then half a million Civil Servants at the end of 2025, the highest in more then a decade
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Officials stated the civil service’s approach to hybrid working was "comparable to other large private and public sector employers".
The most recent data shows that just 49 per cent of the Department of Health and Social Care’s London office was used by staff in December, while 48 per cent of the Northern Ireland Office’s building in Belfast was in use
Figures were higher for both departments in November at 65 per cent and 57 per cent, respectively.
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero’s London office was 100 per cent occupied in November, while the Home Office was 80 per cent occupied in the same month.
According to a YouGov survey last year, civil servants claimed that working from home made them more productive.
They said that working from home had a positive impact on the ability to "attract and retain talent".
Almost 80 per cent of civil servants said they believed it had a positive impact on productivity.
Some 101 civil servants were surveyed about their work from home practices, and how Whitehall was working.
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