Lockdown breaches by Government officials must be treated as Gross Misconduct

Any actions by Civil Servants or other Government officials to breach Lockdown rules should be treated as gross misconduct and should lead to dismissal.

Everyone should keep playing their part by following the measures brought in to curb the spread of the COVID-19 virus, and by doing so we will be able to protect livelihoods and keep our economy moving.

Regulations made under the Coronavirus Act 2020 apply to all individuals, whether civil servants, elected representatives or members of the public.

The police (and courts) are responsible for the investigation of potential breaches by individuals and enforcement of any breaches against individuals, and the police and councils work together in relation to breaches by businesses. The police’s approach remains to engage, explain and encourage people to follow the rules in the first instance.

Government departments have procedures in place which allow appropriate action to be taken should a civil servant receive a criminal conviction.

All employees, including civil servants, are subject to departmental policies which includes provisions for disciplinary action in relation to misconduct occurring both inside and outside of employment.

Allegations of inappropriate and/or criminal conduct in someone's private life may or may not be relevant to their employment role, depending on the circumstances, in which case employers will have disciplinary procedures in place to allow consideration of the person’s behaviour as required. In all cases, all the relevant factors should be considered before deciding on the appropriate course of action, and the applicability of disciplinary proceedings will always depend on the circumstances of the particular case.

Cabinet Office

This is a revised response. The Petitions Committee requested a response which more directly addressed the request of the petition. You can find the original response towards the bottom of the petition page (Lockdown breaches by Government officials must be treated as Gross Misconduct)