HMRC's Misconduct Issue

 

Dismissals for gross misconduct at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are at a five-year-high, data reveals.

So far this year, 179 tax office workers have been sacked for serious breaches of workplace conduct, an increase of 43pc since 2020.

This is the highest number in at least five years, according to figures obtained by The Telegraph in a freedom of information request.

Gross misconduct is behaviour so serious that it can warrant instant dismissal.

Examples include bullying, theft, intoxication, damage to company property, gross negligence or other behaviours that could harm the organisation.

At HMRC, it could include the unlawful disclosure of sensitive taxpayer information or fraud undertaken using company systems.

Earlier this year, a tax office worker was jailed for two years and four months after abusing her role to defraud the taxpayer out of £300,000 in child benefit.

Tracy Ashbridge falsely claimed three of her children were disabled and also submitted false tax credit claims for another 15 children. She used details from her work computer system of members of the public to facilitate some of the frauds.

The 179 workers fired for gross misconduct in 2024 made up over half of all 321 dismissals at HMRC, which employs over 65,000 staff. But in 2020, only 28pc (125) of all dismissals (441) were for gross misconduct.

An HMRC spokesman said:

 “All large organisations will face occasional issues with staff behaviour, and we take all allegations seriously to ensure we work in an inclusive environment that is friendly, tolerant and respectful.

All our employees must ensure they follow our code of conduct alongside the civil service code, with breaches looked into and if necessary investigated, potentially resulting in dismissal.”

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