Government guidelines on working from home have come under the spotlight following a Freedom of Information inquiry.

The Department of Health and Social Care has declined to give a figure for how many staff work from home, insisting it does not keep a record of that information.

However, it said that each member of staff is allowed to work two full days from home every week and may be allowed more at the discretion of their line manager if they need to look after dependants or even pets.

But the tips on home working produced by the Office of Human Resources may surprise those whose jobs mean they have little choice but to head into the office or other place of work.

In its response to the FoI request, the DHSC said: ‘Each colleague is permitted up to two full days working from home every week. However, this must be agreed and documented by your line manager. This will be prorated for part time staff.

‘It is acknowledged that there will be ad-hoc situations where people would like to be able to work from home for longer than this (such as caring for dependents/pets). This will be allowed at the discretion of the line manager taking into account the nature of the person’s role/work and the frequency of requests. The department added: ‘It is up to the individual line managers to agree and monitor the amount of home working done by each member of staff on a case by case basis. Therefore, the department does not keep a record of where staff members are working on a day to day basis.’

Guidance issued by the Office of Human Resources during the Covid pandemic but still valid today provides 10 tips for homeworking.

The first tip is to maintain a regular work schedule and the advice helpfully suggests in minute detail what a typical day could look like.

So for 6.45am it suggests you get up, then shower, dress, hang the washing onto line and put the bins out.

At 8am you prepare family for morning, have breakfast and draw up the itinerary for the day before logging on to begin work at 9am.

Remember to have a break and stretch at 10.30am then review your itinerary for the rest of the morning. Log back on at 10.40am and continue to work until stopping for lunch at 12.30pm.

Then there is more exercise and stretching and a further review of your itinerary before logging back on to work at 1.30pm. Another break and stretch at 3pm before logging on at 3.10pm and continuing to 5.30pm when you log off for the day.