Government urged to reconsider away day ban

The government’s decision to ban away days for civil servants as part of a ‘crackdown on wasteful spending’ has been met with concern.

In an announcement on 6 April, the Government imposed a ban on off-site employee training and team building. With all training now to be held in all freely available government buildings rather than external venues, the saved funds will be redirected to Britian’s Plan for Change.  

Tina Benson Photo Credit: Supplied

However, the move away from employee off-sites could spell trouble for employee morale and productivity, warns corporate events specialist and Team Tactics founder, Tina Benson.  

“The government’s decision to ban the hire of external venues for away days could be somewhat self-defeating. Providing a change of scenery for company conferences and away days can be transformative, helping employees connect away from the day-to-day and creating the right conditions and mindset for valuable ideation and innovation.  

“Away from the same four walls of the office, and the distraction of emails and phones, employees begin to move away from the transactional nature of work-focused interactions to build deeper, more meaningful connections and collaborate on a more strategic level.” 

According to research from Harvard Business Review, 88 per cent of people believe in-person interactions, such as meetings, offsites and workshops, are critical for ensuring positive long-term relationships between employees and coworkers.

Research also suggests a link between away days and work efficiency, with another study indicating a 26 increase increase in employee productivity after participating in offsite retreats.  

“At a time the government is aiming to drive productivity and efficiencies, the decision to keep team events on-site could hinder efforts and defeat the intended purpose and spirit of these activities,” Benson added.

“While funding to rebuild the NHS and our education system should undoubtedly be the priority for taxpayer’s money, away day venues don’t always require big budgets to be effective. The Cabinet Office should reconsider its approach and recognise the value in giving civil servants time and space outside government walls for relationship building, bigger-picture thinking – and crucially – to stay connected with the communities they’re representing.”

Benson also raised concerns about the ‘rolling effect’ that moving team building activities in-house could trigger for the government. 

“If departments are required to organise their own team building activities, this means civil servants taking time away from their vital roles, piling on unnecessary stress and compromising the quality of the experience. And, if they move to cancel their team building events altogether, they risk further damaging the morale of the workforce.  

“Professional team building companies exist to deliver meaningful, tailored experiences to help teams bond, collaborate more effectively and ultimately, perform better. It's about creating the conditions for people to come together, grow trust and work better as one, and we cannot afford to lose that in the push to drive down costs.”