Bank of England told staff should be working from 'desks, not sun loungers' after it emerged employees can be overseas 40 days a year
Around 6,000 staff at the Bank are eligible to work overseas
The Bank of England has been told its staff should be "working from desks, not sun loungers" after it emerged employees can work from abroad for up to 40 days per year.
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Around 6,000 of the Bank's workforce are eligible to work from overseas in addition to being able to work from home three days a week, according to official guidance.
But the perk has drawn criticism amid the cost of living pressures facing the UK, with the Bank failing to keep inflation at 2pc.
Inflation fell to 2.8pc in April and is expected to rise to around 4pc later this year as the Iran war pushes up the cost of energy, Capital Economics reports.
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Chairman of the Conservative Party, Kevin Hollinrake, said staff should be doing their jobs from "their desks, not their sun loungers".
Mr Hollinrake said: "No wonder inflation has been off target for 19 months. Working overseas unnecessarily is both a security risk and a danger to productivity.
"Hard-working families paying rising taxes, and struggling to afford a holiday, will be angry that public servants are soaking in the sun while on the clock.
"Meanwhile, under Labour, public servants are working fewer hours for the same pay."
It comes after the Governor of the Bank said it should not increase its inflation target, stressing that it is important to give households confidence it can bring down the rising cost of living.
Andrew Bailey also told members of the House of Lords' economic affairs committee that he believes inflation would currently be at the 2% target level were it not for the conflict in the Middle East.
The central bank boss said there should not be an argument to increase the inflation target to 3% to adjust for increases in living costs rising faster than the current target rate.
Mr Bailey said: "I don’t think that’s the answer. That would be too simplistic an answer.
"It comes back to the position, where we have to focus more on how we manage the path to target and ultimately get there because we’ve got to give the public confidence that the target is real."
A Bank of England spokesman said: "The Bank has a working from abroad policy which is designed to support staff who wish to temporarily work outside of the UK.
"This is subject to time limits and other requisite and reasonable conditions, such as security-related restrictions."