Civil Service headquarters occupancy data

The government announced on Wednesday 19 January 2022 that it was no longer asking people to work from home, with all other Plan B measures in England being lifted by 27 January. Civil servants who had been following government guidance and working from home could then start returning to their workplaces.

This data presents the daily average number of staff working in departmental HQ buildings, for each week (Monday to Friday) beginning the week commencing of 7 February 2022.

Contacts

Press enquiries: [email protected]

Methodology

The data was originally gathered for internal purposes to indicate the progress being made by departments in returning to the workplace in greater numbers. Data was collected from Departmental HQ buildings to gain a general understanding of each department's position without requiring departments to introduce data collection methods across their whole estate which would be expensive and resource intensive.

These figures incorporate all employees for the departments providing data for this report whose home location is their Departmental HQ building. The figures do not include contractors and visitors.

A listing of all Civil Service organisations providing data is provided.

Data on percentage of employees working in the HQ buildings are provided by departments

All data presented are sourced and collected by departments and provided to the Cabinet Office. The data presented are not Official Statistics.

There are 4 main methods used to collect the Daily Average Number of Employees in the HQ building:

• wifi and/or computer log-ins associated with location
• swipe pass entry data
• space or desk booking system
• manual count

This data does not capture employees working in other locations such as other government buildings, other workplaces or working from home.

It is for departments to determine the most appropriate method of collection.

Notes on measure of attendance in the workplace

The data provided is for Departmental HQ buildings only and inferences about the wider workforce cannot be made.

Work is underway to develop a common methodology for efficiently monitoring occupancy that provides a daily and historic trend record of office occupancy levels for a building.

Comparisons between departments

The data shouldn't be used to compare departments. The factors determining the numbers of employees working in the workplace, such as the differing operating models and the service they deliver, will vary across departments. The different data collection methods used by departments will also make comparisons between departments invalid.

Calculations

Percentage of employees working in the HQ building compared to building capacity is calculated as follows:

Where daily average number of employees in the HQ building equals:

Collection periods

The data is collected weekly. Unless otherwise stated, all the data reported is for the time period Monday to Friday.

Definitions

In the majority of cases the HQ building is defined as where the Secretary of State for that department is based.

Current Daily Capacity is the total number of people that can be accommodated in the building.

Departments providing data

• Home Office
• Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
• Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport
• Cabinet Office
• Department of Health and Social Care
• Department for International Trade
• Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
• Department for Education
• Department for Work and Pensions
• HM Revenue and Customs
• HM Treasury
• Department for Transport
• Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
• Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities
• Ministry of Defence
• Ministry of Justice
• Scotland Office
• Wales Office
• Northern Ireland Office

1. 28 March 2024

   Added the data for the week commencing 18 March 2024

2. 21 March 2024

   .Added the data for the week commencing 11 March 2024

3. 14 March 2024

   Added the data for the week commencing 4 March 2024.

4. 6 March 2024

   Added data for w/c 26 Feb

5. 29 February 2024

   Added data for w/c 19 Feb

6. 22 February 2024

   Added the data for the week commencing 12th February 2024

7. 15 February 2024

   Added the data for the week commencing 5 February. Updated the spreadsheet data to include January 2024.

8. 8 February 2024

   Added the data for the week commencing 29 January 2024

9. 1 February 2024

   Added the date for the week commencing 22 January 2024. Fixed a reporting error for the Department for Education for the week commencing 8 January

10. 25 January 2024

    Added the data for the week commencing 15 January 2024

11. 18 January 2024

    Added the details for the week commencing 8 January 2024

12. 11 January 2024

    Added the data for the weeks commencing: 18 December 2023 25 December 2023 01 January 2024 Updated the occupancy data spreadsheet to include December 2023 stats

13. 21 December 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 11 December 2023.

14. 14 December 2023

    Updated to include the data for the week commencing 4 December 2023 Updated the document 'Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to November 2023' to include the data for Novemner 2023

15. 7 December 2023

    Added the date for the week commencing 27 November 2023

16. 30 November 2023

    Added the date for the week commencing 20 November 2023. Added the following departments to the list of featured departments: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Department for Energy Security and Net Zero Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

17. 23 November 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 13 November 2023

18. 16 November 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 6 November 2023.

19. 9 November 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 30 October 2023 Also added the data for October 2023 to the monthly spreadsheet

20. 2 November 2023

    Updated to include the data for the week commencing 23 October 2023.

21. 26 October 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 16 October 2023.

22. 19 October 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 9 October 2023.

23. 12 October 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 2 October 2023. Also updated the document: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to September 2023

24. 5 October 2023

    Updated to include the data for the week commencing 25 September 2023

25. 28 September 2023

    Added the date for the week commencing 18th September

26. 21 September 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 11 September 2023

27. 14 September 2023

    Updated to include the date for the week commencing 4 September Updated the spreadsheet to include all data for August 2023

28. 7 September 2023

    Data added for week commencing 29 August

29. 31 August 2023

    Data added for week commencing 21 August

30. 24 August 2023

    Added data for the week commencing 14 August 2023.

31. 17 August 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 7 August 2023.

32. 10 August 2023

    Updated with the data for the week commencing 31 July 2023. Updated the document: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to July 2023

33. 3 August 2023

    Updated with the data for the week commencing 24 July 2023.

34. 27 July 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 17 July 2023.

35. 20 July 2023

    Added data for the week commencing 10 July 2023.

36. 13 July 2023

    Added date for the week commencing 3 July. Updated spreadsheet to include June 2023 data.

37. 6 July 2023

    Added data for the week commencing 26th June 2023.

38. 29 June 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 19th June 2023.

39. 22 June 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 12 June 2023 and also updated the document: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to May 2023, to include May 2023

40. 15 June 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 5th June

41. 8 June 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 29th May 2023.

42. 1 June 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 22nd May 2023.

43. 25 May 2023

    Updated with the data for the week commencing 15th May 2023.

44. 18 May 2023

    Updated data to include the week commencing 8 May. Also updated the document: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to April 2023

45. 11 May 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 1 May 2023.

46. 27 April 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 17 April 2023.

47. 20 April 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 10 April 2023. Also updated: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to March 2023

48. 13 April 2023

    Added data for the week commencing 3 April 2023.

49. 6 April 2023

    Added data for week commencing 27 March 2023.

50. 30 March 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 20th March 2023.

51. 23 March 2023

    Added data for week commencing 13 March 2023.

52. 16 March 2023

    Added data for week commencing 6 March 2023. Also added the updated version of: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February 2022 to February 2023

53. 9 March 2023

    w/c 27 February data added

54. 2 March 2023

    Occupancy data added for week beginning 20 February.

55. 23 February 2023

    Added the data for the week commencing 13 February 2023

56. 16 February 2023

    Added date for week commencing 3 February. Also updated document Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February to December 2022 to include January 2023 data.

57. 9 February 2023

    Added date for weeks commencing 23 and 30 January 2023.

58. 26 January 2023

    Added data for week commencing 16 January

59. 19 January 2023

    Added date for week commencing 9 January 2023

60. 12 January 2023

    Added the data for: The week commencing 2 January 2023 Updated spreadsheet: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data - February to December 2022

61. 22 December 2022

    Added the data for the week commencing 12 December 2022. Also updated the file: Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February to November 2022

62. 15 December 2022

    Added date for week commencing 5 December 2022.

63. 8 December 2022

    Added data for the week commencing 28 November 2022.

64. 1 December 2022

    Added data for week commencing 21 November 2022.

65. 24 November 2022

    Added data for week commencing 14 November 2022.

66. 15 November 2022

    Added data for week commencing 7 November 2022 and also updated the spreadsheet to include October 2022 figures.

67. 10 November 2022

    Added data for week commencing 31 October 2022.

68. 3 November 2022

    Data added for week commencing 24 October 2022.

69. 27 October 2022

    Added data for week the commencing 17 October 2022.

70. 20 October 2022

    Added data for week commencing 10 October.

71. 13 October 2022

    Data added to table for w/c 3 October 2022 September 2022 data added to spreadsheet

72. 6 October 2022

    Data added for the week starting 26 September

73. 29 September 2022

    Added data for week commencing 19 September

74. 22 September 2022

    Updated data for weeks commencing 5 and 12 September and updated Civil Service headquarters occupancy data: February to August 2022.

75. 8 September 2022

    Data added for week commencing 29 August

76. 1 September 2022

    Added data for week commencing 22 August 2022

77. 25 August 2022

    Added data for week commencing 15 August 2022

78. 18 August 2022

    Added data for the week commencing 8 August 2022

79. 11 August 2022

    Added data for w/c 1 August 2022.

80. 4 August 2022

    Updated to include: Week commencing 25 July 2022 Updated spreadsheet to include July 2022

81. 28 July 2022

    Added data for week commencing 18th July 2022.

82. 27 July 2022

    Added data for week commencing 18 July 2022

83. 25 July 2022

    Added data for the week commencing 11 July.

84. 14 July 2022

    Added occupancy data for week commencing 4 July 2022. Updated spreadsheet to include data for June 2022.

85. 7 July 2022

    Updated document 'Civil Service headquarters occupancy data for June 2022' - added occupancy data for the week commencing 27 June 2022.

86. 30 June 2022

    First published.