Better HMRC campaign

As part of the Better HMRC campaign, PCS is asking members in the Revenue & Customs group to contact HMRC permanent secretary, JP Marks, to show your support for the campaign and to call for serious action on its six pillars.

In 2025, more than 2,500 members in Revenue & Customs took part in a GEC-led survey. The results highlighted significant concerns across HMRC, including pay, workload, culture and wellbeing. While these concerns were raised formally with the employer and shared at the highest level, the R&C GEC remains concerned that progress has been limited and key issues remain unresolved.

The Better HMRC campaign brings these issues together into six clear pillars for change:

1. Meaningful consultation, engagement and a strong PCS voice. To include a full review of the Employee Relations Agreement and a psychological safety framework so all workers feel able to raise concerns without fear of detriment

2. Pay, grading and recognition. To include:

• Pay improvements aligned to PCS national pay demands, including fully consolidated pay rises of at least 10%
• A full review of HMRC’s Jobs and Evaluation Grading Support policy and process, to make sure roles are graded fairly and people are paid properly for the work and responsibilities they actually do
• A collective agreement governing the use of Artificial Intelligence in HMRC
• A commitment to pilot a shorter working week, with a clear intention to expand following a successful trial

3. Learning, skills and fair expectations. To include:

• A learning agreement that guarantees all workers have the information, training, protected time and ongoing support needed to do their jobs effectively
• A collective agreement to protect all workers from micromanagement and unreasonable performance pressures

4. Hybrid working and flexibility. This includes an end to the rigid 60% office attendance requirement and its use as a compliance or performance measure. We are calling for managers to have the flexibility to agree working arrangements based on caring responsibilities, disability, health, travel distance, office capacity, or other personal circumstances — with flexibility as the default where work can be done effectively away from the office.

5. Culture, fair treatment and a trusted grievance process. Improve how grievance and conduct cases are handled by raising the quality of investigations and decisions, setting clear time limits so cases don’t drag on, making sure investigators and decision-makers are properly trained and independent, and ensuring Employee Advisory Services can only give advice — not influence outcomes — with all advice recorded and open to scrutiny

6. No to privatisation – bring outsourced work back in-house. To include a clear commitment, with an agreed timetable, to bring outsourced work back in-house.

What you can do now

The GEC is asking PCS members in HMRC to use our e-action to contact the permanent secretary for HMRC to ask him to work with PCS to turn the Better HMRC proposals into practical, lasting improvements for members and for the department as a whole.

Members can also help strengthen the campaign by:

• Updating your details in PCS Digital so we can stay in touch and build collective pressure
• Telling us why you support the Better HMRC campaign, helping shape our messaging and evidence member priorities by emailing [email protected]
•  Following PCS R&C group on Facebook to amplify the campaign and keep up to date.