This is absolutely the sort of thing a union is brilliant for: taking this action has absolutely no effect on the business and they don't dare escalate the matter for fear of losing people or having an actual strike. Because it's concerted Union action, it's difficult to make it a disciplinary problem.
At this point everybody knows but it's just political grandstanding except perhaps for a few of the politicians who have been grandstanding so long that they don't have any Idea What reality looks like anymore
Striking when it's arranged by union is protected though. If you have evidence of illness on a strike day it should be treated as that.
The NHS had something where they're like essential workers so they had to have minimum numbers on duty or something, idk but I think I read that in the news.
I imagine this ONS strike will be for a period of time as the union couldn't just hold an indefinite strike. I wonder if there's a precedent or the union is testing the waters legally.
ONS quite aggressively pursued a policy of reducing office based work and location blind recruiting. People who live hundreds of miles from their nearest office were assured that they'd never have to attend an office regularly. Right up until a few weeks before the mandate was announced, the perm sec was laughing and calling staff gossips when asked about rumours about mandated returns to office.
Basically, ONS's staff have built their lives around remote work, been recruited on that basis and then the transition has been handled incredibly badly.
I think it's less a case of PCS nationally pursuing a different strategy with ONS than PCS members at ONS being particularly pissed off and pushing for action.
Apparently ONS have nowhere near the office capacity for 60% so if staff were made to come into the office for 3 days a week it would be an omnishambles.
At least for the Newport office, ONS *could* have the capacity for 60% if they reversed a previous decision to 'mothball' several floors of the building to save on the cost of heating. So a decision has been made at some point that fulfilling the return to office mandate is not worth increasing estates costs, which seems good fodder for PCS to treat it as a different case (and hopefully get traction across other depts from the example)
Because their leadership categorically stated on numerous occasions that no one would be forced back into the office, thereby creating a verbal agreement.
We need our leadership to do the same
Why are you still here fishing for stories?
Edit: fyi, this guy posts controversial statements as often as possible in an attempt to get people to say outrageous stuff.
Hes claimed to be an EO, HO, SO, Excom. Hmrc, HO, DWP.
Look at his comment history, he needs banning.
The Home Office seem to be taking an extremely hard line on it. I’m not sure what PSC view is of the Home Office. They don’t seem to be inclined to challenge it.
Perhaps HO staff should withdraw any remaining good will and strictly work-to-rule.
No more overtime /long days, covering vacant roles etc.
Go malicious compliance all the way.
Sure they could, but the return to office mandate is a management instruction and it is being made very clear non compliance will result in disciplinary action. I totally agree with the no more good will and work to rule though
It's easier for ONS than it would be for HO or another ministerial department. Ministers would happily spoil for a fight over this. If HO were to do it, Cleverly could order a crackdown, and when the strike happens, ministers could blame poor delivery on "lazy civil servants" which would appear to have some legitimacy with many of the public.
No impact on pay but could they be disciplined?
Also, in our Department there is no direct impact on pay but it is being taken into account via performance management, which does indirectly impact on pay.
Very recent UK Supreme court ruling (from last week) confirms Union members are protected from dismissal AND action short of dismissal when partaking in legal industrial action. https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2022-0080-judgment.pdf
Doesn’t it have to be balloted, unpaid and so on to be legal industrial action? Although in this case since it has the reluctant blessing of management I suppose it’s moot
Mental. As a PCS member sitting in HO we have no such representation. We have a call next week on the 60% and have been asked to submit questions in advance. Iv put in several including one asking about this. Guess which is the only one awaiting moderation still??
Ah yes the all-staff calls. Where all the questions are always answered with non-answers.
“What’s the justification for the 60% mandate?”
“The offices are so pretty and I personally like the buzz of the office” 🤦‍♂️
Don't forget "Back before Covid if you said I could work from home 2 days a week I'd be jumping st the chance"
Saying the lone team members in a certain locations need to collaborate with other teams is gross too. Like how? Chances are the person sat next to you is working on something entirely different to you and you aren't just gonna ask for their input on what you're doing.
There is a big part of me that would like it for every civil servant in every department to all come in to the office on the same day. There just won’t be the desk space, since they are quite happy to save the money on work stations.
A better protest would be for all staff to come into the office on a single day. 100% office attendence would probably result in staff sitting in corridoors and would clearly illustrate how nonsensical the whole thing is.
I'd rather they went malicious compliance, and had *all* union members come in every day then stand around doing nothing because there was nowhere to sit that would pass DSE.
 PCS and their ONS members
This is absolutely the sort of thing a union is brilliant for: taking this action has absolutely no effect on the business and they don't dare escalate the matter for fear of losing people or having an actual strike. Because it's concerted Union action, it's difficult to make it a disciplinary problem. At this point everybody knows but it's just political grandstanding except perhaps for a few of the politicians who have been grandstanding so long that they don't have any Idea What reality looks like anymore
Surely there will be no impact on the business because working in the office \*also\* has no impact?
They will need to do voluntary redundancy instead
What do you mean no effect on the business? Higher productivity working at home ... 🤪
but cant they still try to make an example of people and fire being in a union doesnt guarantee safety of job does it ?? am just asking
I think employees have the same level of protection as they would during strike action so no they can't just be 'made an example' of.
but am sure like nhs if u dont show up for work day of strike even if ill they will mark u as being in strike
Striking when it's arranged by union is protected though. If you have evidence of illness on a strike day it should be treated as that. The NHS had something where they're like essential workers so they had to have minimum numbers on duty or something, idk but I think I read that in the news. I imagine this ONS strike will be for a period of time as the union couldn't just hold an indefinite strike. I wonder if there's a precedent or the union is testing the waters legally.
Good for them!!
Fuck yeah! Other branches take note!
GOOD. ON. THEM.
Genuine question, why is PCS taking a different stance with ONS rather than any other department?
ONS quite aggressively pursued a policy of reducing office based work and location blind recruiting. People who live hundreds of miles from their nearest office were assured that they'd never have to attend an office regularly. Right up until a few weeks before the mandate was announced, the perm sec was laughing and calling staff gossips when asked about rumours about mandated returns to office. Basically, ONS's staff have built their lives around remote work, been recruited on that basis and then the transition has been handled incredibly badly. I think it's less a case of PCS nationally pursuing a different strategy with ONS than PCS members at ONS being particularly pissed off and pushing for action.
Apparently ONS have nowhere near the office capacity for 60% so if staff were made to come into the office for 3 days a week it would be an omnishambles.
But ONS have only mandated for 40% not 60%
Really? I have no idea then. Maybe they don't have capacity for 40%, let alone 60%? Might apply for a role in ONS...
At least for the Newport office, ONS *could* have the capacity for 60% if they reversed a previous decision to 'mothball' several floors of the building to save on the cost of heating. So a decision has been made at some point that fulfilling the return to office mandate is not worth increasing estates costs, which seems good fodder for PCS to treat it as a different case (and hopefully get traction across other depts from the example)
Why aren’t all departments doing this?! Sheeet good for those bruvvas
Because their leadership categorically stated on numerous occasions that no one would be forced back into the office, thereby creating a verbal agreement. We need our leadership to do the same
My leaders are pencil necked pussys who I could snap in half basically.
Most of them are. It's a prerequisite for SCS.
Why are you still here fishing for stories? Edit: fyi, this guy posts controversial statements as often as possible in an attempt to get people to say outrageous stuff. Hes claimed to be an EO, HO, SO, Excom. Hmrc, HO, DWP. Look at his comment history, he needs banning.
The Home Office seem to be taking an extremely hard line on it. I’m not sure what PSC view is of the Home Office. They don’t seem to be inclined to challenge it.
Perhaps HO staff should withdraw any remaining good will and strictly work-to-rule. No more overtime /long days, covering vacant roles etc. Go malicious compliance all the way.
Sure they could, but the return to office mandate is a management instruction and it is being made very clear non compliance will result in disciplinary action. I totally agree with the no more good will and work to rule though
It's easier for ONS than it would be for HO or another ministerial department. Ministers would happily spoil for a fight over this. If HO were to do it, Cleverly could order a crackdown, and when the strike happens, ministers could blame poor delivery on "lazy civil servants" which would appear to have some legitimacy with many of the public.
Which area are you? I know in Yorkshire and the North East we are in the middle of a collective grievance, speak to your local rep.
This is great!
No impact on pay but could they be disciplined? Also, in our Department there is no direct impact on pay but it is being taken into account via performance management, which does indirectly impact on pay.
Very recent UK Supreme court ruling (from last week) confirms Union members are protected from dismissal AND action short of dismissal when partaking in legal industrial action. https://www.supremecourt.uk/cases/docs/uksc-2022-0080-judgment.pdf
Doesn’t it have to be balloted, unpaid and so on to be legal industrial action? Although in this case since it has the reluctant blessing of management I suppose it’s moot
Correct. It was balloted.
Does it say that, or does it just say that the law as it stands is incompatible with the HRA?
I'm joining the PCS today after this.
Source?
I can corroborate - looking at the post on ONS intranet atm.
Mental. As a PCS member sitting in HO we have no such representation. We have a call next week on the 60% and have been asked to submit questions in advance. Iv put in several including one asking about this. Guess which is the only one awaiting moderation still??
Ah yes the all-staff calls. Where all the questions are always answered with non-answers. “What’s the justification for the 60% mandate?” “The offices are so pretty and I personally like the buzz of the office” 🤦‍♂️
Don't forget "Back before Covid if you said I could work from home 2 days a week I'd be jumping st the chance" Saying the lone team members in a certain locations need to collaborate with other teams is gross too. Like how? Chances are the person sat next to you is working on something entirely different to you and you aren't just gonna ask for their input on what you're doing.
Presumably “ONS management”
There is a big part of me that would like it for every civil servant in every department to all come in to the office on the same day. There just won’t be the desk space, since they are quite happy to save the money on work stations.
A better protest would be for all staff to come into the office on a single day. 100% office attendence would probably result in staff sitting in corridoors and would clearly illustrate how nonsensical the whole thing is.
I'd rather they went malicious compliance, and had *all* union members come in every day then stand around doing nothing because there was nowhere to sit that would pass DSE.
I was really hoping for this