Civil Service People Survey 2024 - Results Highlights
Published 30 January 2025
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Overview of the Civil Service People Survey 2024 main findings
Contents
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People Survey response rate and summary
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Employee engagement and theme scores
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Discrimination, bullying and harassment
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Employee wellbeing
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Modernisation, reform, productivity and efficiency
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Future intentions
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Annex: Background information
People Survey response rate and summary
61% of civil servants, across 103 organisations, participated in the 2024 Civil Service People Survey
The annual Civil Service People Survey (CSPS) measures civil servants’ attitudes to, and experience of working in government organisations.
354,962 civil servants from 103 organisations responded to the 2024 Civil Service People Survey, down from 356,715 in 2023. The overall response rate in 2024 was 61%, down from 2023 (65%). This was due to the increased number of civil servants invited to take part in the survey and a decrease in those responding to the survey, from the previous year.
This page is an overview of the headline findings of the 2024 Civil Service People Survey for the purpose of providing commentary on the results. It is composed of five sections; (i) Employee engagement index and theme scores, (ii) Discrimination, bullying and harassment, (iii) Employee wellbeing (iv) Modernisation, reform, productivity and efficiency; and (v) Future intentions.
Figure 1: Summary of Civil Service People Survey 2024 Results (access Table 1 (ods, 16KB)]
The Civil Service People Survey 2024 Benchmark Results file provides the results for key measures and core questions, including the headline findings shown here.
For the Civil Service as a whole, the benchmark median scores (Table 1 of the benchmark file) are used on this page (unless stated otherwise). The median benchmarks are the ‘average organisation’ scores, the mean scores for each participating organisation are calculated first and the median (middle organisation value) is used.
The mean scores are the aggregate calculation of civil servant respondents to the People Survey. Question mean scores relate to the civil servants who answered the question, and the proportion who answered certain option responses. For example, for the Civil Service as a whole (CSPS 2024), of the civil servants who answered ‘I am interested in my work’ (B01), 88% responded “Strongly agree” or “Agree”.
The mean scores for the 17 main Whitehall departments plus the Devolved Administrations (Scottish Government and Welsh Government) are presented on this page (referred to as the ‘main organisations’ going forward). The mean scores for the Civil Service as a whole and all 103 participating organisations can be found in Tables 2 and 3 of the accompanying benchmark file. The Northern Ireland Civil Service (NICS) conduct their own separate NICS People Survey, however a small number of civil servants responding to this survey have workplaces based in Northern Ireland.
Further information about the survey can be found in the Quality and Methodology Information Guide, including the full list of participating organisations, development of the questionnaire over time and detail about how the scores and the indices are calculated.
Employee engagement and theme scores
The employee engagement index for the Civil Service remained the same compared to 2023 at 64%
Index and theme scores are summary measures for groups of questions within the People Survey. A key measure in the People Survey is the employee engagement index (EEI). This is a summary of five questions in the survey (B47 to B51) relating to engagement which cover: how proud staff feel working for their organisation, whether they would recommend their organisation as a great place to work, whether they feel a strong personal attachment to it, and whether they feel their organisation inspires and motivates them to do the best in their job and achieve their organisation’s objectives.
There are nine theme scores derived from the People Survey results, each used to measure a different element of employee experience at work. A theme score is a summary measure for civil servants answering positively (“Strongly agree” or “Agree”) across a similarly themed group of questions. The index and theme measures are calculated differently, more information about the measures, the questions used to derive them and how the mean scores are calculated can be found in the Annex below and in the Quality and Methodology Information Guide.
Figure 2: CSPS median benchmark scores 2009 to 2024 for Employee Engagement Index and main themes (access Table 2 (ods, 16KB)]
Compared to 2023:
- ‘Employee Engagement Index’ remained the same at 64%
- ‘Learning and Development’, ‘Inclusion and Fair Treatment’, ‘Leadership and Managing Change’ and ‘My Team’ did not vary;
- ‘My Manager’ and ‘Resources and Workload’ increased by 1 percentage point, while ‘Pay and Benefits’ increased by 2 percentage points;
- ‘My Work’, and ‘Organisational Objectives and Purpose’ decreased by 1 percentage point.
Employee engagement index ranged from 56% to 72% across main departments
Across main organisations in 2024 (Table 1), the Department for Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS, 72%) had the highest engagement index while HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) had the lowest (56%). Across the nine themes, the Welsh Government (WG) had the highest scores for three of the themes, while the Ministry of Defence (MOD) had the lowest score for three of the nine themes.
Note: Scores for the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) and Department for Education (DFE) include their respective agencies. Please refer to the Civil Service People Survey 2024 Benchmark Results file for details (organisation codes MOJ_GROUP and DFE).
Table 1: 2024 organisation employee engagement index and main themes scores
| Category | CO | DBT | DCMS | DEFRA | DESNZ | DFE | DFT | DHSC | DSIT | DWP | FCDO | HMRC | HMT | HO | MHCLG | MOD | MOJ | SG | WG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Index | 60% | 63% | 72% | 62% | 67% | 64% | 61% | 62% | 61% | 62% | 65% | 56% | 69% | 59% | 64% | 63% | 61% | 63% | 67% |
| My Work | 76% | 77% | 79% | 76% | 79% | 77% | 76% | 78% | 75% | 74% | 78% | 70% | 80% | 71% | 76% | 76% | 74% | 78% | 82% |
| Organisational Objectives and Purpose | 68% | 81% | 82% | 78% | 86% | 80% | 79% | 77% | 75% | 87% | 82% | 84% | 83% | 81% | 76% | 81% | 83% | 81% | 83% |
| My Manager | 76% | 78% | 77% | 77% | 79% | 81% | 79% | 79% | 77% | 79% | 74% | 77% | 80% | 76% | 80% | 72% | 73% | 80% | 81% |
| My Team | 84% | 83% | 85% | 85% | 84% | 87% | 83% | 86% | 83% | 84% | 81% | 81% | 84% | 80% | 86% | 80% | 79% | 85% | 86% |
| Learning and Development | 52% | 58% | 58% | 56% | 54% | 56% | 58% | 57% | 51% | 63% | 56% | 56% | 52% | 57% | 61% | 53% | 56% | 56% | 60% |
| Inclusion and Fair Treatment | 77% | 82% | 84% | 82% | 85% | 84% | 80% | 82% | 81% | 81% | 75% | 78% | 81% | 77% | 84% | 77% | 75% | 84% | 86% |
| Resources and Workload | 74% | 75% | 76% | 73% | 74% | 78% | 76% | 76% | 71% | 78% | 75% | 74% | 74% | 73% | 76% | 71% | 72% | 75% | 80% |
| Pay and Benefits | 34% | 28% | 30% | 29% | 35% | 39% | 29% | 35% | 29% | 30% | 26% | 30% | 25% | 34% | 31% | 31% | 27% | 60% | 57% |
| Leadership and Managing Change | 47% | 53% | 62% | 49% | 59% | 52% | 49% | 51% | 55% | 52% | 47% | 45% | 54% | 46% | 56% | 41% | 47% | 48% | 57% |
Note: The full names for the department codes used in this and other tables is at the bottom of this page in the Coverage section.
DESNZ and DHSC achieved the biggest improvements across the theme scores
Of the main organisations, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) had the large increase in employee engagement index (EEI) compared to 2023 (up 7pp and 5pp, respectively) (Table 2). The Department for Transport (DFT) had the largest reduction (down 3pp), followed by the Scottish Government (SG) and Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) (down 1pp in both cases).
DHSC increased all nine theme scores in CSPS 2024 compared to 2023. DBT, DESNZ and DWP had an increase in eight of the nine theme scores. Compared to the previous year, the largest increase in any one theme score by a main organisation was ‘Pay and Benefits’ in DESNZ (up 13pp). The largest decrease in any one theme score by a main organisation was ‘Leadership and Managing Change’ in DFT (down 9pp).
Table 2: 2024 main organisations employee engagement index and theme scores percentage point (pp) difference compared to 2023
| Category | CO | DBT | DCMS | DEFRA | DESNZ | DFE | DFT | DHSC | DSIT | DWP | FCDO | HMRC | HMT | HO | MHCLG | MOD | MOJ | SG | WG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Index | +2 | +1 | +1 | +1 | +7 | +2 | -3 | +5 | +1 | +2 | -1 | 0 | +2 | +1 | +2 | 0 | +1 | -1 | +1 |
| My Work | -1 | 0 | -3 | -2 | +1 | -2 | -3 | +1 | -3 | +1 | -2 | -1 | 0 | -2 | -2 | -2 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| Organisational Objectives and Purpose | -1 | +2 | -1 | +2 | +9 | 0 | 0 | +7 | +4 | +1 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | -2 | 0 | +1 | -1 | -1 |
| My Manager | +1 | +1 | -2 | 0 | +1 | +1 | -1 | +2 | +1 | +2 | -1 | -1 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | -1 | 0 |
| My Team | 0 | +1 | -3 | +1 | +2 | 0 | 0 | +2 | 0 | +1 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | +1 |
| Learning and Development | +2 | +4 | +2 | -2 | 0 | -4 | -3 | +4 | +1 | +1 | -1 | -1 | +2 | -1 | -1 | -1 | +1 | -2 | +4 |
| Inclusion and Fair Treatment | +1 | +2 | -2 | +1 | +2 | +1 | -3 | +3 | -1 | +2 | -1 | -1 | 0 | -1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 |
| Resources and Workload | +2 | +2 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +2 | -1 | +3 | 0 | +2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +1 | 0 | +2 | 0 | +1 |
| Pay and Benefits | +2 | +4 | +6 | +8 | +13 | +2 | +1 | +4 | +5 | -4 | -1 | -1 | +5 | -2 | +5 | +2 | -1 | +4 | +5 |
| Leadership and Managing Change | +2 | +1 | 0 | 0 | +6 | +1 | -9 | +6 | +2 | +2 | -3 | -1 | -1 | -1 | +1 | -1 | +1 | -1 | +2 |
Discrimination, bullying and harassment
Reports of discrimination remained stable at their lowest recorded level
Discrimination is when an individual is treated differently or less favourably than someone else because of their personal characteristics, or when a working condition, policy, procedure or rule disadvantages one group of people more than another.
In the People Survey, civil servants were asked ‘Have you been discriminated against at work in the last 12 months?’ (E01). The Civil Service benchmark score for discrimination (those who answered “Yes” to E01) continues to stand at 7% (Figure 3). This is the lowest recorded figure since the Civil Service People Survey began in 2009 and unchanged from 2023 and 2022 (when rounded to a whole percentage).
Figure 3: Experienced discrimination trend, CSPS median benchmark 2009 to 2024 (access Table 3 (ods, 16KB)]
Of the main organisations, WG had the lowest rate of discrimination (5%), while FCDO had the highest (13%) (Figure 4). DCMS saw the largest increase in respondents answering they had experienced discrimination (up 2pp).
The civil servants who reported experiencing discrimination (“Yes” to E01) were further asked ‘On which of the following grounds were you discriminated against?’ (E02). The most common grounds of discrimination, for the Civil Service (mean score), were ‘Grade or responsibility level’ (24%), ‘Disability’ (21%), ‘Age’ (17%) and ‘Working pattern’ (17%) (Table 3).
Figure 4: Experienced discrimination for the main organisations and the percentage point (pp) change compared to 2023 (access Table 4 (ods, 16KB)]
| Organisation / Change compared to 2023 (pp) | Percentage |
|---|---|
| FCDO (+1) | 13% |
| CO (0) | 11% |
| MOJ (0) | 11% |
| HO (0) | 11% |
| MOD (-1) | 10% |
| DWP (-1) | 10% |
| DFT (+1) | 9% |
| HMRC (0) | 9% |
| DBT (0) | 8% |
| DFE (-1) | 8% |
| DHSC (-1) | 8% |
| SG (+1) | 8% |
| DSIT (0) | 8% |
| DEFRA (-1) | 7% |
| DCMS (+2) | 7% |
| DESNZ (0) | 7% |
| MHCLG (0) | 7% |
| HMT (-1) | 6% |
| WG (0) | 5% |
Table 3: 2024 Civil Service mean scores for grounds of discrimination (E02) and the percentage point (pp) change compared to 2023
| Grounds of Discrimination (E02) | CSPS 2024 | Change compared to 2023 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Grade or responsibility level | 24% | +1 |
| Disability | 21% | +2 |
| Age | 17% | 0 |
| Working pattern | 17% | -1 |
| Mental health | 16% | 0 |
| Working location | 16% | +1 |
| Gender | 15% | 0 |
| Ethnic background | 13% | +1 |
| Caring responsibilities | 12% | 0 |
| Any other grounds | 11% | 0 |
| Prefer not to say | 11% | 0 |
| Pay | 7% | -1 |
| Social or educational background | 6% | 0 |
| Main spoken, written language or language ability | 5% | 0 |
| Religion or belief | 4% | +1 |
| Sex | 4% | 0 |
| Sexual orientation | 3% | 0 |
| Pregnancy, maternity or paternity | 2% | 0 |
| Marital status or civil partnership | 2% | 0 |
| Gender reassignment or perceived gender | 1% | 0 |
Reported rates of bullying and harassment continues to stand at 8%
Bullying can be characterised as:
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Offensive, intimidating, malicious or insulting behaviour
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Abuse or misuse of power in ways that undermine, humiliate, denigrate or injure the recipient
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Bullying can also cover a broad spectrum of covert behaviours that may be more difficult to detect. It can include ill-treatment, interpersonal conflict, unwanted and unacceptable or counter-productive workplace behaviours.
Harassment is unwanted actions or comments that are demeaning and unacceptable to the recipient. It may be related to any personal characteristic of the individual, and may be persistent or an isolated incident.
In the People Survey, respondents were asked ‘Have you been bullied or harassed at work, in the past 12 months?’ (E03). The Civil Service median benchmark score for bullying and harassment (for those who answered “Yes” to E03) continues to stand at 8% (when rounded to a whole percentage), when compared to 2023 (Figure 5).
Figure 5: Experienced bullying and or harassment (E03) trend, CSPS median benchmark 2009 to 2024 (access Table 5 (ods, 16KB)]
The lowest rate of bullying and harassment across the main departments was at the WG (6%) (Figure 6). The highest rates of bullying and harassment were at FCDO (13%), followed by the CO (12%) and MOJ (10%).
Figure 6: Experienced bullying and or harassment for the main organisations
| Organisation / Change compared to 2023 (pp) | Percentage |
|---|---|
| FCDO (+1) | 13% |
| CO (0) | 12% |
| MOJ (0) | 10% |
| MOD (-1) | 10% |
| HO (0) | 10% |
| DFT (0) | 9% |
| DWP (-1) | 9% |
| SG (+1) | 9% |
| DEFRA (0) | 9% |
| DSIT (+1) | 9% |
| DHSC (-1) | 9% |
| DBT (-1) | 9% |
| HMRC (0) | 8% |
| DCMS (-1) | 8% |
| DESNZ (0) | 8% |
| HMT (0) | 7% |
| MHCLG (0) | 7% |
| DFE (-1) | 7% |
| WG (-1) | 5% |
The civil servants who reported experiencing bully and harassment (“Yes” to E03) were further asked ‘How would you describe the nature of the bullying and or harassment you experienced?’ (E03A). For all participating civil servants (mean score), ‘Negative micromanagement’ (52%), and being ‘Treated less favourably to others’ (41%) were the most common types of bullying or harassment (Table 4). Of those who experienced bullying or harassment, 5% said they experienced sexual harassment, while 1% said they experienced physical assault.
Table 4: 2024 Civil Service mean scores for types of bullying and harassment (E03A) and the percentage point (pp) change compared to 2023
| Types of bulling and harassment (E03A) | CSPS 2024 | Change compared to 2023 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| Negative micromanagement (for example, excessive control, made to feel incompetent) | 52% | +1 |
| Treated less favourably to others | 41% | +1 |
| Humiliated in front of team or others | 38% | +1 |
| Ignored, excluded, marginalised | 38% | +1 |
| Intimidation, or verbal or written aggression (for example, shouting, making threats, sending aggressive emails) | 37% | 0 |
| Spreading gossip or making false accusations about me | 29% | +3 |
| Removal of job responsibilities, unconstructive criticism, or changing expectations | 28% | +1 |
| Undermining or taking credit for my work | 28% | 0 |
| Unhelpful comments about my mental health or being off sick | 13% | +1 |
| Comments about my personal appearance or accent | 10% | 0 |
| Disclosure of personal or sensitive information to colleagues without my consent | 10% | +1 |
| Something else not listed here | 8% | 0 |
| Sexual harassment (for example, sexual comments or jokes, unwelcome sexual advances, touching or assault) | 5% | 0 |
| Denied time off for family or caring responsibilities | 5% | 0 |
| Prefer not to say | 4% | 0 |
| Denied time off for personal ill health | 4% | 0 |
| Physical assault (for example, object thrown at me, pushed, hit) | 1% | 0 |
41% of staff reported their experience of bullying or harassment
The civil servants who reported experiencing bully and harassment (“Yes” to E03) were also asked ‘Did you report your experience of bullying and harassment?’ (E05). The proportion of those who experienced bullying or harassment and said that they had reported this increased by 1 percentage point compared to 2023 (mean score, Figure 7)).
Figure 7: Reported bullying and or harassment trend (E05), mean score 2016 to 2024
Of those that reported their experience, most did so through a less formal means (55%) or confiding in someone (36%), while 24% did so formally (Table 5). Of those not reporting their experience, 64% did not report it because they did not feel that corrective action would be taken (Table 6).
Table 5: 2024 Civil Service mean scores for reporting bullying and harassment (E05A) and the percentage point (pp) change compared to 2023
| E05A. How did you report your experience? | CSPS 2024 | Change compared to 2023 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| I reported in another way, through a less formal means | 55% | -1 |
| I confided in someone | 36% | +1 |
| I raised a formal complaint | 24% | +1 |
| In another way | 7% | 0 |
Table 6: 2024 Civil Service mean scores of reasons for not reporting bullying and harassment experience (E05B) and the percentage point (pp) change compared to 2023
| E05B. Why did you not report your experience? | CSPS 2024 | Change compared to 2023 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| I did not believe that corrective action would be taken | 64% | 0 |
| I did not want to be seen as a troublemaker | 46% | +2 |
| I felt I might jeopardise my job | 41% | +2 |
| I did not report it for another reason | 20% | 0 |
| I did not know how to report it or who to speak to | 10% | +1 |
| The behaviour stopped before I could report it | 5% | 0 |
Of those that reported their experience of bullying or harassment, 29% of civil servants indicated that appropriate action was taken to address the behaviour (down 1pp compared to 2023, Figure 8) and 39% indicated that the behaviour had stopped at the time of completing the survey. (Figure 9). The proportion of those who said they felt the culture in their area allowed this behaviour to continue remained unchanged from 2023 at 60% (Figure 10). Also, the proportion of those that felt punished for reporting the incident increased by 1pp (32% compared to 31% in 2023, Figure 11).
Figure 8: Civil Service mean scores, appropriate actions taken after reporting bullying and/or harassment (E06A)
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 29% |
| 2023 | 30% |
Figure 9: Civil Service mean scores, bullying and or harassment has stopped following reporting (E06B)
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 39% |
| 2023 | 41% |
Figure 10: Civil Service mean scores, culture allowing bullying and or harassment (E06C)
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 60% |
| 2023 | 60% |
Figure 11: Civil Service mean scores, felt punished for reporting bullying and or harassment (E06D)
| Year | Percentage |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 32% |
| 2023 | 31% |
Employee wellbeing
Employee wellbeing is measured in the Civil Service People Survey via four subjective wellbeing questions, aligned to Labour Force and Annual Population Surveys done by the Office for National Statistics. They cover life satisfaction, feeling that things in life are worthwhile, happiness, and anxiety. The Civil Service People Survey also includes self-assessed ratings of mental and physical health.
The Proxy Index measures the conditions that contribute to a stressful environment including: demands, control own over work, support, relationships, role in the organisation, and change. A low score is favourable.
The PERMA Index measures the extent to which employees are flourishing at work and it is based on five dimensions: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishment. A high score is favourable.
More information about how these indices are calculated can be found in the Quality and Methodology Information Guide.
Three of the four benchmark scores for wellbeing improved compared to 2023
There was little change in the 2024 benchmark scores for both PERMA Index (74%) and the Proxy Stress Index (26%) compared to 2023 (0pp difference for both when rounded).
Figure 12: PERMA and Proxy Stress Indexes trend 2012 to 2024, Civil Service median benchmark scores (access Table 6 (ods, 16KB)]
Three of the Civil Service benchmark scores for the personal wellbeing indicators slightly improved compared to 2023: life satisfaction (68%, up 1pp), feeling things in life are worthwhile (71%, up 1pp), and happiness (63%, up 1pp). The only personal wellbeing indicator that remained stable compared to last year was for high anxiety (35%, low score is favourable).
Figure 13: Personal Wellbeing scores trend 2012-2024 (access Table 7 (ods, 16KB)]
Self-rated mental health increased compared to 2023
The benchmark for self-reported mental health (those reporting an excellent, very good or good level of mental health) increased by 1 percentage point and now stands at 73%, while self-reported physical health decreased by 3 percentage points to 69%.
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60% of staff indicated that their organisation provides good support for employee health, wellbeing and resilience; and
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60% of staff indicated to discuss their personal wellbeing and / or work-related stress with their manager on a monthly or weekly basis, an increase from 2023 (up 1pp).
Modernisation, reform, productivity and efficiency
The Civil Service People Survey is a key tool for measuring attitudes and experiences across the Civil Service, and includes questions related to reform efforts (B59 series of questions). Over time these questions have changed. Currently the survey measures awareness of the Civil Service vision for cross-government change, how staff can work effectively and contribute to achieve common goals via a trustworthy relationship with their managers, collaboration with colleagues and the use of technology. Since 2021 the survey has included a question on self-assessed productivity and in 2022 a question on whether efficiency is pursued as a priority in the organisation was introduced.
60% benchmark score for awareness of the vision for “A Modern Civil Service”
The Civil Service benchmark score for awareness of the Civil Service vision for “A Modern Civil Service” remained the same compared to 2023 (60%, Table 6). The largest change compared to 2023 for this group of questions was for ‘I have a choice in deciding where I do my work (usual workplace or base, another workplace, home)’ (B59E, down 10 pp)
Table 6: CSPS 2024 median benchmark scores for B59 series (responding positively) and the percentage points change compared to 2023
| Civil Service Reform (B59-B59H) | CSPS 2024 | Change compared to 2023 (pp) |
|---|---|---|
| I am aware of the Civil Service vision for ‘A Modern Civil Service’ (B59) | 60% | 0 |
| I understand how I can help achieve the vision for ‘A Modern Civil Service’ (B59A) | 43% | +1 |
| The technology provided by my organisation enables me to easily connect and collaborate with the colleagues that I need to for me to do my job effectively, from any location (B59B) | 79% | -1 |
| How often do you collaborate with civil servants in other Government departments and agencies to achieve common goals? (B59C) | 39% | +2 |
| I consider how my work impacts upon the public in the course of carrying out my duties (B59D) | 86% | 0 |
| I have a choice in deciding where I do my work (usual workplace or base, another workplace, home) (B59E) | 73% | -10 |
| My manager trusts me to do my job effectively, even if I am not working from the same location as them (B59F) | 94% | -1 |
| Over the last month, roughly how productive have you been? (B59G) | 65% | -1 |
| Efficiency is pursued as a priority in my organisation (B59H) | 52% | -2 |
The means scores for the B59 series, for the Civil Service and each participating organisation can be found in Tables 2 and 3 of the Civil Service People Survey 2024 Benchmark Results.
Future intentions
This section covers employees’ intentions in relation to continue working in or leaving their organisation (question C01). This question asked respondents about their future intentions in relation to their current organisation in which they are working in and not the Civil Service as a whole. Reasons on why they would leave (question C02) are also included.
20% benchmark score for civil servants saying they would like to leave their organisation
The Civil Service median benchmark for civil servants’ intention to leave as soon as possible or within the next 12 months decreased by 1 percentage point to 20% this year (Figure 16). 45% of civil servants who responded would like, instead, to stay working for their organisation for at least another year, and 35% for at least the next three years. The means scores for the Civil Service and each participating organisation can be found in Tables 2 and 3 of the Civil Service People Survey 2024 Benchmark Results.
For civil servants who declared they intend to leave their organisation either as soon as possible or within the next 12 months, the most common reasons for doing so were a better pay and benefits package (48%); a promotion or career progression within the Civil Service (34%); or because of poor leadership (31%) (Figure 17).
Figure 16: Civil Service median benchmark scores for intention to leave or stay in the organisation (C01)
| Year | Leave as soon as possible | Leave within the next 12 months | Stay for at least the next year | Stay for at least the next 3 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 7% | 15% | 36% | 42% |
| 2024 | 6% | 14% | 35% | 45% |
Figure 17: 2024 mean score for reasons for intention to leave (C02)
| Reason | Percentage |
|---|---|
| ‘For a better pay and benefit package’ | 48% |
| ‘A promotion or career progression within the Civil Service’ | 34% |
| ‘Due to poor leadership’ | 31% |
| ‘For more interesting work’ | 30% |
| ‘Don’t like organisational culture’ | 28% |
| ‘For a better work-life balance’ | 27% |
| ‘A promotion or career progression outside of the Civil Service’ | 22% |
| ‘Due to poor line management’ | 20% |
| ‘Due to unmanageable workload’ | 19% |
| ‘Lack of inclusion and fair treatment’ | 17% |
| ‘Just want a change’ | 17% |
| ‘Retiring’ | 9% |
| ‘Other’ | 9% |
| ‘Due to poor work relationships’ | 9% |
| ‘Personal circumstances (for example, caring responsibilities, ill health)’ | 8% |
| ‘End of my current contract or loan’ | 3% |
Annex: background information
Explanatory notes
Civil Service Benchmark
The Civil Service Benchmark is the median score across the 103 organisations who participated in the 2024 survey. We use this measure as our benchmark because it prevents the results from being skewed by a small number of organisations who contribute the largest number of respondents. A small number of question results here, where respondents can choose more than one option, are based on the results for all respondents.
Employee engagement index
The employee engagement index is calculated as a weighted average of the responses to the five employee engagement questions (measuring pride, inspiration, attachment, advocacy, and motivation) and ranges from 0% to 100%. A score of 0% represents all respondents giving a rating of “strongly disagree” to all five questions. A score of 100% represents all respondents giving a rating of “strongly agree” to all five questions.
Theme scores
There are nine core theme scores within the People Survey. Each theme score is based on the average percentage of “Strongly agree” or “Agree” responses to all questions in that theme.
Coverage
Where we refer to our ‘main departments’, this is the 17 main Whitehall departments plus the Devolved Administrations (Scottish Government [SG] and Welsh Government [WG]). Results are for the core department excluding any agencies, except for the Ministry of Justice and the Department for Education where the scores are inclusive of staff in executive agencies. The full names for the department codes used in tables are below:
CO - Cabinet Office
DBT - Department for Business and Trade
DCMS - Department for Culture, Media and Sport
DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
DESNZ - Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
DFE - Department for Education
DFT - Department for Transport
DHSC - Department for Health and Social Care
DSIT - Department for Science, Innovation and Technology
DWP - Department for Work and Pensions
FCDO - Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office
HMRC - HM Revenue and Customs
HMT - HM Treasury
HO - Home Office
MHCLG - Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
MOD - Ministry of Defence
MOJ - Ministry of Justice (MOJ_GROUP in the Civil Service People Survey 2024 Benchmark results file)
SG - Scottish Government
WG - Welsh Government
Rounding
Figures are displayed as whole numbers for the ease of reading. To ensure the figures are as accurate as possible, rounding takes place at the last stage of any calculation unless otherwise indicated.