Video – Jeremy Hunt says you miss the ‘fizz and excitement’ of workplace

Former health secretary Jeremy Hunt says he expects people will want to get back into the workplace soon.

He told Sky News presenter Kay Burley: “There’s only so long you can work remotely before you lose the fizz and excitement that you get in a good workplace.”

As someone who has worked in a number of calls centres, low paid admin jobs etc, I can tell you there is rarely any ‘fizz and excitement,’ but it’s a cold hard slog to get to the the end of the day and marking down your toilet breaks doesn’t bring a feeling of excitement. The only fizz is from a can of coke from the vending machine.

Hunt also refers to a business he ran for many years I am sure it is fun at the top, but I wonder if his ex staff also share his enthusiasm for an hour plus commute then a day of the pressures and demands of a modern job.

I hate to break it to him, but a lot of people hate each other in work, people don’t laugh at all your jokes and do what you are told when you are bottom of the pile.

DWP

“More than half” of staff in one Government department are back in work, a minister has said, after pictures showed parts of the capital still empty of office workers.

The claims come amid a push for civil servants to lead from the front and get back to their desks as Downing Street wants to encourage people back to the workplace.

Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said “more than half” of staff are “fully back in the offices” at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Speaking to BBC Breakfast, she added: “But even then we have capacity on how many people can be in a Covid-safe environment within our workplace.”

Ms Coffey said that 799 of the department’s 804 sites are open, and hoped that children returning to school would give parents more opportunities to go back to the office.

The minister told the programme: “It’s important that employers and employees have that discussion about Covid-safe environments,” and added: “There’ll be more opportunities for parents to go back into the office if that’s what is the best thing for them and their employer.”