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Noah Eastwood Money Reporter |
Civil servants avoiding the office, and the lengths they’ll go to achieve this, has become so commonplace that senior mandarins have coined a term for it: a “drive-by login”.
This phenomenon – where staff connect to their office Wi-Fi from a nearby car park before returning home – is just one of a string of examples, uncovered by a Telegraph investigation, of civil servants “taking advantage” of flexible working arrangements.
I spoke to several whistleblowers, who told me Whitehall offices were “like the Mary Celeste” on Fridays and that it was common for people “to be in for a couple of hours and disappear”, despite official guidance mandating that staff be in the office three days per week.
We also unearthed internal absence records that reveal the extent of the problem. At HMRC, for example, more than 3,000 workers have not been in an office for between six and 11 months, with 992 not attending for between one year and 23 months. There were 182 employees who did not go into work in person for two years or more. It’s a similar story at other government departments.
The findings coincide with growing concerns over public sector productivity, which has flatlined for years, and accusations of a drop in customer service levels.
One Tory MP said Labour was “rewarding part-time work with full-time pay”.
This exclusive reporting is available only to subscribers.
Continue reading ➤ |
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Allison Pearson Only the Right will do what is required to lance the boil of Islamic extremism Continue reading ➤
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard The Bank of England is the prisoner of a dying economic cult Continue reading ➤
Annabel Denham The miserable reality of a plant-based society Continue reading ➤ |
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Tunnels have been found beneath the village of Bloxham |
A growing number of teenage girls are being arrested for serious and violent crimes. Psychologists argue that violence on social media, the encouragement of aggressive behaviour in women and the impacts of lockdown have led to an increase in antisocial activities. However, while organisations have focused on violence among boys, little is being done to support vulnerable adolescent girls. For subscribers only ➤ |
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Seven years after his daughter’s death, Ben Goldsmith has turned to rewilding his Somerset estate – and woven her memory into family life |
Ben Goldsmith lost his daughter, Iris, seven years ago, when she was only 15. He has created a stone circle as a touching memorial for her in the Somerset estate he is rewilding. He discusses grief, family loyalty and his love of nature with Zoe Dare-Hall. Continue reading ➤ |
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Dr Carine Minne, 64, feels a sense of ‘deep shame’ that her profession let the public down on the Southport attack |
Dr Carine Minne has worked at Broadmoor for over 30 years, treating some of the most dangerous offenders. In the wake of the Golders Green and Southport attacks, she is increasingly alarmed by how many homicides are committed by mentally disorded offenders, treated by multiple teams who fail to communicate well, and who are slipping through a system drowning in emails and bureaucracy: “We’re missing red flags because there are a gazillion other flags.” Continue reading ➤ |
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Clem Burke (bottom right) documents the punk rock subculture from which Blondie emerged |
★★★★★
The Other Side of the Dream isn’t your typical rock-star autobiography, writes Poppie Platt. Clem Burke played drums for Bowie and Iggy, smoked weed with Allen Ginsberg and partied with John Belushi. When he joined Blondie, though, the fun really began. In his extraordinarily vivid new memoir, written before his death last year, he reveals how it all fell apart. Continue reading ➤ |
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A drone strike just four miles from the Kremlin this week laid bare a simple fact: Ukraine has brought the war home to Russia. With Vladimir Putin reportedly retreating into bunkers and scaling back his annual military pageant, Volodymyr Zelensky is stepping up pressure on the Kremlin to come to the negotiating table, since Russia “believes it cannot hold a parade in Moscow without Ukraine’s goodwill”. Continue reading ➤ |
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Tim Spector having a DEXA bone scan at St Thomas’ Hospital in London |
Our columnist Tim Spector has undergone dozens of tests to learn more about his health, including those costing thousands of pounds on Harley Street. However, none of these makes his list of the 10 essential health checks for people over 60, most of which are available for free. Continue reading ➤ Below is another article I hope you’ll find helpful this morning:
- If you’re planning a garden party in the coming weeks, try these summer cocktail recipes. From sake-infused blends to sweet elderflower mixes, there’s something for every guest.
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Lisa Armstrong’s makeovers |
Do you have a fashion dilemma for Lisa? Send us your problems here and we’ll do our best to answer them in a future edition of this newsletter. Also, you can sign up to the Fashion and Beauty newsletter here. |
King of the grillWhile Orlando Bird, our loyal reader correspondent, is away, Kate Moore is on hand to share an off-piste topic that has brought out the best of your opinions and stories. Kate writes...
The British barbecue is always a rather fraught prospect. It takes all the usual hazards of eating outdoors – uncomfortable seating, stiff winds, the prospect of sharing your meal with insects – and ups the ante by insisting that the cooking become part of the whole performance.
Then you risk incurring the wrath of the neighbours (if you forgot to invite them) by invading their patch with drifts of smoke. For anyone willing to brave all of the above, I hope you found our guide to hosting a barbecue in a typical British summer useful.
It’s an art many people, including myself, struggle to master. Our Atlantic and Antipodean cousins are bolder, with the grills and the meat festivals to prove it.
Dalton Knox said: “I brought back a portable BBQ from Canada in ’71. It improved picnics greatly. Generally, enough wine took care of issues like rain.”
Phillip Ullah concurred: “Having learnt how to barbecue while living in Australia, I never cease to be dismayed by how clueless we are in Britain. Most people never think of closing the lid (if they have one), resulting in that British classic – the burnt raw sausage.”
It was generally agreed that the lid was the crucial thing. “Just put a decent-sized lump of meat in a BBQ with a lid, placing the meat on a tray,” advised one reader. “A leg of lamb works well, especially when marinated in a tandoori marinade.”
Meanwhile, Tyler Roberts seemed to qualify for the post of gourmet griller-in-chief: “I have cooked chateaubriand on the barbecue, by searing the meat and then resting on a bed of veg. Then, I use the veg for a rich sauce along with some red wine, stock and berries.”
The resourcefulness didn’t end there. “I fire up the barbecue for a joint every Christmas Day,” said Chris Riding. “Frees up the oven for other things.” Is there a king of the grill in your household? Send your responses here and the best of the bunch will feature in a future edition of this newsletter.
Please confirm in your reply that you are happy to be featured and that we have your permission to use your name. |
A car ended up in the pub’s beer garden after clearing the adjacent creek |
In the Hampshire village of Sopley, a car flew over a bridge and crashed into the beer garden of The Woolpack. However, this is not the first occasion such an incident has taken place. How many times has this happened before?
Click one of the options to reveal the answer |
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Find as many words as you can in today’s Panagram, including the nine-letter solution. Visit Telegraph Puzzles to play a range of head-scratching games, including The 1% Club, Cogs, and Quick, Mini or Cryptic Crosswords.
Yesterday’s Panagram was HOMEBUYER. Come back tomorrow for the solution to today’s puzzle. |
Thank you for reading. Have a fulfilling day and I hope to see you tomorrow. Chris Evans, Editor
P.S. I’d love to hear what you think of this newsletter. You can email me your feedback here. |
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