ONS members win breakthrough on office attendance rules

PCS members at the Office for National Statistics have secured a major shift away from individual office attendance targets following a long-running dispute. 

PCS has welcomed a breakthrough agreement with the Office for National Statistics (ONS), marking the first campaign to remove individual office attendance mandates in the UK civil service.

PCS members at the ONS have voted to settle the long-running dispute over office attendance requirements, following months of sustained industrial action short of a strike and four statutory ballots since April 2024.

The dispute resolution ballot saw a 71% turnout, with 77% of those voting accepting the offer.

The dispute began after staff were told they would be required to attend the office at least 40% of the time, despite many having applied for and accepted roles on the basis that remote and flexible working would be a permanent feature. For many, these arrangements were central to managing work-life balance, caring responsibilities, and the cost of work.

Following a change in senior leadership at the ONS, negotiations since October 2025 have led to a significant shift in approach and a set of jointly agreed principles on hybrid working.

Under the new agreement:

  • Individual 40% attendance targets will be scrapped
  • Office attendance will instead be based on clear, purposeful need
  • An overall organisational attendance target of 40% will replace individual quotas
  • Disciplinary action for not attending the office will only apply in cases of persistent and unreasonable non-compliance
  • Additional flexibility will be provided for staff with caring responsibilities, workplace adjustments, contractual homeworking arrangements, and those recruited during periods before attendance quotas were introduced.

PCS general secretary Fran Heathcote said: “This is a landmark win for our members and shows what can be achieved when workers stand together. For the first time, a rigid office attendance mandate has been broken and replaced with a more sensible, flexible approach based on what actually works.

“This has been a long campaign and reaching a deal members could accept reflects the determination of PCS members at ONS, the hard work of their reps, and the value of trade unionism.”