The Reform leader of Nottinghamshire County Council says the authority’s working-from-home policy “works well”
Cllr Mick Barton, whose Reform group took control of the council last year, was responding to his party’s leader, Nigel Farage, who said he wanted an “attitudinal change to the idea of working from home” at a rally in Birmingham.
Nottinghamshire County Council (NCC) currently has a hybrid working policy, meaning the work week for many staff is often split between office and home-based.
The authority is still advertising hybrid working roles on its website.
Cllr Barton said: “Here at Nottinghamshire County Council we have a working from home policy that works very well.
“We are encouraging working from the office. I totally agree with Nigel that staff are more productive working from the office. We are changing the culture.
“But the reality at NCC is that we literally do not have the desk space for everyone to be in five days a week.”
Recently, Mr Farage said: “You can’t go on the sick because you’ve got mild anxiety. But it is an attitudinal change that Britain needs.
“An attitudinal change to hard work, rather than work-life balance. An attitudinal change to the idea of working from home.
“People aren’t more productive working at home, it’s a load of nonsense. They’re more productive being with other fellow human beings, and working as part of a team.”
Cllr Sam Smith had been the leader of the council for the Conservatives before Reform took control.
Now speaking as leader of the opposition, he said his group would have encouraged more people to return to the office, arguing “no Teams message beats in-person office talking between colleagues.”
“Being in the office prevents silo working and duplication and increases productivity with better outcomes,” he said.
“Staffing working together in the office is more efficient than working from home.”
However he questioned Reform’s support for the current council policy based on a lack of office space.
“A large proportion of the council’s workforce are not deal workers and are instead out in the community supporting residents, including social care staff and youth workers,” he added.
“Both County Hall and Oak House have huge amounts of desk space and the county council has access to office space dotted around the county that can accommodate more office working than currently exists.”
