The state of the civil service: location, grade, pay and morale

Whitehall Monitor 2025 – the Institute for Government’s flagship annual report on the civil service – found that high staff turnover, confused workforce planning, slipping morale and uncompetitive pay will hinder its ability to deliver Labour’s missions, even with an increased headcount and a relentless pressure for greater efficiency and productivity Keir Starmer and Cabinet Office minister Pat McFadden have shown a welcome enthusiasm for Whitehall reform – including a commitment to a “test and learn” mindset and “mission boards” – but little will change until long-running civil service challenges, like excessive staff turnover and falling morale, are resolved. This webinar – the third in a three-part series focusing on the report’s findings – examined the relationship between civil service pay and the shift in grade structure since 2010, as well as trends in officials’ morale. The webinar featured: Teodor Grama, Research Assistant at the Institute for Government Hannah Keenan, Associate Director at the Institute for Government Jack Worlidge, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government and lead author of Whitehall Monitor 2025 The event was chaired by Emma Norris, Deputy Director of the Institute for Government.