Scots firms pull plug on WFH ...but civil servants still refuse to put in two days at office

By MARK HOWARTH FOR THE SCOTTISH MAIL ON SUNDAY Published: 18:37, 11 July 2026 | Updated: 18:37, 11 July 2026 Scots businesses are turning their backs on working from home – even as civil servants continue to defy orders to return to their offices. Private sector enthusiasm for hybrid perks has shrivelled to its lowest level since the pandemic. New official data reveals only one in nine companies – 10.9 per cent – are embracing extra remote working, down from 13.8 per cent last year and 27.4 per cent in 2022. In stark contrast, many Scottish Government workers are still failing to abide by the generous offer that requires them to return to the office for 40 per cent of the working week. Figures earlier this year showed daily attendance of core government staff at their offices was running at only 12 per cent – falling to 3 per cent on Fridays – and bosses have admitted they’re not policing the deal with trade unions. The Federation of Small Businesses said there are growing fears WFH is eroding creativity, social skills and motivation among workers. Commenting on the private sector figures, FSB Scotland director Colin Borland said: ‘These figures highlight worries over productivity and integrating new starters into the workforce – and I hear that reflected in conversations with employers. ‘Many are concerned about the impact on younger workers. How will they develop the soft skills that are vital in the workplace? And how will they develop their own professional networks if the only people they see are postage-stamp-sized faces on a Teams meeting?’ Colin Borland of FSB Scotland says working at home is damaging younger generations Just three per cent of core government staff are working in the office on Fridays  Covid-19 lockdowns forced millions to stay at home and their employers to find new ways to carry on doing business. But last year, former Marks & Spencer and Asda boss Lord Rose warned WFH is creating a generation that is ‘not doing proper work’. Amazon and Boots are among the retailers that have axed hybrid working for head office staff. Now the collapse in faith in WFH is rippling across the private sector. In May 2022, more than half of large companies told the Business Insights and Conditions in Scotland survey they favoured the hybrid model (51.4 per cent); now it’s less than a quarter (23.6 per cent). Among small and medium-seized businesses – those with fewer than 250 employees – there’s even less faith in remote working. The proportion saying they had switched to greater use of WFH, or intended to, now stands at only 9.5 per cent, compared with 24.7 per cent four years ago. But the private sector drive to improve productivity by bringing workers back into offices has passed the Scottish Government by. Its offices remain close to empty either side of the weekend even though staff have been told to increase the time they spend at their desks to 40 per cent. That compares poorly with the UK Government where all ministries have attendance figures of between 58 and 100 per cent. Scottish Conservative finance spokesman Craig Hoy said: ‘Scottish Government employees should not be exempt from the working conditions that are the norm for most people.’ A Scottish Government spokesman said: ‘Unless alternative arrangements have been agreed, staff in hybrid-compatible roles should aim to spend 40 per cent of hours working in person.’