HMRC has recently confirmed a significant change in office attendance for its employees. Starting from 2nd April 2024, all grades within the organisation will be required to attend the office at least 60% of their working time. This move comes as part of the government's efforts to transition back to a more traditional office-based work environment.
You would have thought that they should already be in the office on a daily basis!
The 'Office Attendance Tool'
To facilitate this transition, HMRC is introducing the Office Attendance Tool. Here are some key points about how it works:
1. Automatic Data Gathering: The tool automatically collects data from various sources to determine where an employee is working. If an employee docks their computer at an office desk, it registers as a day of office attendance. Connecting via Government Wi-Fi does not create a report, but swiping into an office with a swipe card system also counts as attending the office.
2. Manager Access: Managers do not have access to specific timings for swiping in or docking computers. The system simply registers office days without providing detailed information on arrival or departure times.
Outstanding Concerns
Despite the implementation date being set for 2nd April, there are several outstanding concerns raised by employees and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS):
1. Office Capacity: Employees are worried about office capacity and whether there will be enough space to accommodate the increased attendance.
2. Travel Costs: Some employees may face additional travel costs due to increased office attendance.
3. Training: Concerns exist regarding the level of training provided to staff and managers on how the tool functions.
4. Functionality: The functionality of the Attendance Tool itself has been questioned, especially after access issues were reported during the initial rollout.
As I said, it rather beggars belief that staff are not already in the office 60% of the time!
Tax does have to be taxing.
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Staff should all show up 100% of the time out of spite. Forcing management to send them home because there would be no desks.
ReplyDeleteRefuse to go... get paid to stand around and do nothing all day.
That would piss on HMRC's Corn Flakes.
Doesn't make the slightest bit of difference if they work from home.
Only to the political scum class pointing fingers to appease the phony outrage in the Fake News.
Giving HMRC One Star is overly generous.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/where-hmrc-went-wrong-keep-taxpayer-helpline-open/
Welcome to the reality of working in hell/HMRC:
ReplyDelete24/7 telephony, despite post work back log, no chance of moving to other departments as they won’t let you off the phone to do any kind of admin role elsewhere.
Managers are bullied by their managers to make ridiculous decisions and are then left to defend themselfs.
Expressions of interest are a paper exercise, they’ll already have someone ringfenced.
IT not fit for purpose crashes on a daily basis causing stress to staff.
Flexible working is on their terms not yours and will get blocked if the phones are too busy.
Take heed people, you do not want to work at HMRC
Are most of jobs now called centre jobs? I left years ago before l lost my mind. Just wondering what the older employees do now couldn't imagine the ones l knew doing call centre work
DeleteIf you have to work in an office, they may as well do it in the lap of luxury.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.thesun.co.uk/money/26885567/hmrc-furniture-spending-shut-hotline/
There's so many obscenely fat people working at HMRC that require specialist office furniture due to rather their large size. When I worked there, they justified the wasteful spending as health & safety. Really it would be cheaper to put the HMRC fatties on the slim fast plan.
ReplyDeleteIf fat staff in my business demanded special furniture and obesity aids to attend work, they would told where to go. That's the difference between the private sector and profligate taxpayer-funded, public sector organisations like HMRC, where staff who lack self-control are treated like a victim. It's no wonder more and more people are investing in advice from tax planners - the more you pay the government, the more they waste. Morally, tax is theft.
DeleteIt's much worse than you think. When I worked for HMRC you were not allowed to apply for promotion unless you weighed over 20 stones.
DeleteThey changed the criteria later on - rather than actual weight than used BMI: only those with BMI of 35 or above ever got promoted.
DeleteI actually felt discriminated against for not being overweight. If you are a normal size you don't fit in with the crowd at HMRC
ReplyDeleteGosh it just gets worse and worse. Hell on earth HMRC
ReplyDeleteHe should just walk in to his local, friendly, Tax Office where a member of the Enquiry Centre staff will be more than happy to look in to it for him.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/hmrc-tax-refund-delay-complaint-absolute-mess/
Well, this is unfortunate. They'll be working from home for the foreseeable.
ReplyDeleteDo you think they'll have to fill in the Attendance Tool?
https://www.lep.co.uk/news/blaze-breaks-out-at-blackpools-new-ps100million-civil-service-offices-4570767
They're forcing it on the peasants. If you work where the carpet is plush, then it's a different story.
ReplyDeletePlush it shall remain as there is nobody there to walk on it.
Guido has put his own sarcastic angle on the article in the Telegraph today.
They don't do themselves any favours in HMRC
https://order-order.com/2024/04/03/half-of-hmrc-staff-work-from-home-this-year/
There are two sides to every story. On Saturday I spoke to a former HMRC employee who had to take early retirement because the stress of having to use his home as a place of work was having a seriously detrimental effect on his health.
ReplyDeleteMany, many people prefer to keep work and home completely separate and are done no favours by having home-working forced upon them.
Hmrc is diversity obsessed.
ReplyDeleteAnd also has a bullying culture.
Straight, white male victims of its abuse can expect no justice.
Clown world 🤡💉🥜
It's another shite form based app with powerbi data. It doesn't use any data from swiping into offices. It uses HR data from ERP system which itself knows when you are on an internal office network and not gov wifi. You can game the system to say you're on WiFi everyday and no one would give a fuck. If you manager asks you say you couldn't get a seat or you were moving desk. It's another shite tick box exercise which I am gladly abusing.
ReplyDelete