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

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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.