HM Income and Customs (HMRC) has sacked 179 workers for gross misconduct in 2024, the best quantity in not less than 5 years, in accordance with information obtained by way of a freedom of knowledge request.
This represents a 43% improve from 2020 when 125 workers had been dismissed for related causes, accounting for simply 28% of all terminations on the time.
The current dismissals, which now represent over half of the 321 terminations at HMRC this yr, mirror a firmer stance on disciplinary issues throughout the division, which employs over 65,000 employees. Gross misconduct encompasses severe breaches of conduct, corresponding to bullying, theft, intoxication, injury to firm property, gross negligence, or different actions that might hurt the organisation. Particular to HMRC, it may well embrace illegal disclosure of delicate taxpayer data or fraud utilizing authorities methods.
In a single notable case, a tax workplace employee was jailed for over two years after defrauding the taxpayer of £300,000 in little one profit by falsely claiming that three of her youngsters had been disabled and fabricating tax credit score claims for an additional 15 youngsters, utilizing particulars accessed by way of her work laptop system.
Civil servants may also face dismissal for unauthorised entry to authorities databases. For example, Louise Kelly, a 20-year veteran of the Division for Work and Pensions (DWP), was dismissed after improperly looking for her neighbour’s tackle within the “Searchlight” database, which accommodates delicate monetary and well being data. Her dismissal was upheld by an employment tribunal, underscoring the significance of sturdy insurance policies to forestall misuse of such methods.
The DWP additionally reported 190 dismissals for gross misconduct in 2023-24, accounting for about 40% of all terminations, down from 221 the earlier yr.
Steve Sweetlove of accountancy agency RSM famous that whereas the rise in gross misconduct dismissals at HMRC might appear troubling, it may additionally point out a stricter strategy to upholding requirements of conduct. “Given the important function HMRC employees play in coping with taxpayer information and accumulating revenues for the federal government, instances of gross negligence can symbolize a extremely severe problem, so it’s essential that applicable motion is taken the place essential,” he mentioned.
Michael Newman, an employment regulation specialist at Leigh Day, added that gross misconduct is reserved for probably the most severe breaches and stays comparatively uncommon. He highlighted that what qualifies as gross misconduct can differ relying on the worker’s function, with fraud at HMRC being notably severe.
The rise in dismissals comes as HMRC faces vital operational challenges, with customer support at what has been described as an “all-time low.” The division managed to reply solely 66% of buyer calls final yr, effectively under its goal of 85% and down from 71% in 2022-23. Rising demand for HMRC providers, pushed by frozen tax thresholds pulling extra taxpayers into greater charges, has compounded these points.
The Public Accounts Committee earlier this yr criticised HMRC’s service ranges, describing them because the worst they’ve ever been, following an “unprecedented” variety of complaints concerning the tax workplace’s efficiency. Moreover, ranges of bullying and harassment at HMRC are reported at 8%, whereas worker engagement is at 56%, the bottom within the civil service in comparison with a benchmark of 64%.
A authorities spokesman acknowledged the challenges however emphasised that each one massive organisations face occasional points with employees behaviour. “We take all allegations severely to make sure we work in an inclusive setting that’s pleasant, tolerant and respectful,” the spokesman mentioned. “All our workers should guarantee they comply with our code of conduct alongside the civil service code, with breaches appeared into and if essential investigated, probably leading to dismissal.”
As HMRC prepares to obtain extra funding for recruitment, the necessity for robust oversight and help for brand new recruits might be essential in sustaining requirements and bettering total efficiency.
