Current status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 March 2026
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments of the Permanent Secretary at the Finance and Public Administration Committee's meeting on 10 March 2026, whether it will confirm what its policy is in respect of the number of days that civil servants are expected to attend their place of work; what monitoring of this policy should be undertaken, and what its position is on whether this policy is being observed.
The Permanent Secretary is responsible for the Scottish Government’s operational arrangements, including its hybrid working policy.
Staff in roles compatible with hybrid working are expected to aim for working 40% of their contracted hours in person, either at a Scottish Government workplace or another agreed location, such as attending Parliament or working with stakeholders. This can include meetings, collaboration, training, fieldwork, or official travel, and may vary where a reasonable adjustment or agreed exemption applies.
Attendance is normally considered over a four-week period, and line managers monitor this to ensure arrangements meet business needs and align with the policy.