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7 months ago
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The UK's competition watchdog has been accused of splurging over £2.7million of taxpayers' money on helping 'workshy' staff carry out their jobs from the comfort of their own home.
Bosses have splashed out on nearly 2,500 laptops, smartphones, and tablets for just over 1,000 employees over the past three years, figures have revealed.
Parliament Street think tank - which uncovered the data – branded the Competition and Markets Authority's 'frivolous and excessive spending spree' astonishing during a cost-of-living crisis.
Chairman Patrick Sullivan said: 'Instead of forking out millions of pounds to enable workshy staff to stay at home, a mandatory order should be put in place to get them back into the office where they belong.'
A survey last month revealed civil servants were among the most likely to want to work from home - despite government efforts to get them back into the office.
CMA bosses have paid for nearly 2,500 laptops, smartphones, and tablets for just over 1,000 employees over the past three years. Pictured: The CMA's Cabot Square offices
The CMA is widely viewed as one of the foremost antitrust agencies in the world and is set to get huge new powers to rein in Big Tech this month under new laws.
However it has come under fire over the past year over how it has dealt with scrutinising major deals, in particular Microsoft's £60bn takeover of Activision Blizzard.
The watchdog last night defended its IT spending saying its staff also needed the devices in the office because it no longer had any standalone computers.
Overall, officials spent £1,887,000 on 1,258 laptops for staff between January 2020 and December 2023.
At an average cost of £1,500, this is the same price as the latest high-end Apple MacBook Air which was unveiled last month.
A further £817,600 was spent on 1,164 smartphones and tablets. With an average headcount of 1,179 employees, this equates to £2,294 spent on every person.
Last year, the Cabinet Office said they expected staff to be in 60 per cent of the time – but also promised that flexible working would remain 'fundamental' to working life.
When asked how many days they would be in the office in an ideal world, a recent poll by recruitment firm Randstad found civil servants answered just 2.1 each week on average.
Company bosses are starting to have more sympathy with the hybrid working however – with some admitting it was a necessary commitment to retain and hire new workers.
A survey last month revealed civil servants were among the most likely to want to work from home - despite government efforts to get them back into the office (Stock photo)
Sachin Agrawal, UK managing director of cloud computing firm Zoho, said: 'The pandemic ushered in a new era of remote working which has since resulted in many companies now offering a hybrid work model.
'Staff are now regularly granted work-from-home privileges and expect a degree of flexibility in their day job, so if organisations fail to support hybrid working they may be at risk of losing talent to their competitors.'
Sheila Flavell CBE, chief operating officer of business and tech consultancy FDM Group, said: 'Hybrid working brings numerous benefits, and having the right technology in place to enable it actually delivers savings in the long term.
'But equipping staff with the latest shiny new devices must be accompanied by digital training and support so the return on investment is maximised.'
A spokesman for the CMA said: 'At the CMA laptops and phones are IT equipment, not remote working equipment.
'They are used in both the office and at home – there is no standalone IT equipment in CMA offices. As with all IT equipment, it must be periodically upgraded.'
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