HMRC WFH staff have lost £1 million worth of mobile phones and laptops

HMRC WFH staff have lost £1m worth of laptops and mobiles. Figures reveal around 10 mobile phones and two laptops disappear every week, according to fresh data released by the Telegraph newspaper today (Tuesday May 21).

Around 10 mobile phones and two laptops disappear every week. It means over the last three years HMRC staff have reported 1,670 mobile phones as missing, while 334 laptops have been lost over the same period, and 95 phones were recorded as stolen with 562 laptops also being pinched.

An HMRC spokesman said: "Security and privacy are at the heart of our work as we deal with tens of millions of customers every year. We take quick action to deactivate any lost or stolen devices and investigate all security incidents, taking steps to reduce future recurrences."

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It comes after Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former business secretary, slammed HMRC staff fo working from home after the Covid pandemic restrictions were loosened. Speaking earlier this year, Sir Jacob led the criticism over HMRC's long wait times.

He told the Daily Telegraph: "The lesson is obvious. HMRC is failing to deliver a service to people, and they're not going into work. They're wasting taxpayers' money because this is a Grade II star office space in London, which costs a significant amount of money.

"They should either be using 100 Parliament Street or they should move out." At the time, responding to the reports of its work from home staff, an HMRC spokesman said last month: "We expect all office-based colleagues to now spend 60 per cent of their working time in the office."

The spokesperson added: "Hybrid working is part of our approach to being a modern and flexible employer. Our colleagues are held to the same standards, whether they are working from an HMRC building or from home."