Council bosses have defended spending almost £130,000 on equipment for staff as Reform leaders continue scrutinising the authority's work-from-home arrangements.
Norfolk County Council has spent £128,944 on desks, chairs and other equipment since 2022/23, amid an ongoing review ordered after officials admitted they did not know how many staff regularly worked remotely.
But County Hall has defended the spending, saying flexible working allows them to make "significant savings" on office space and running costs.
Reform leaders have made the council's work-from-home culture a key target since taking control of the minority administration in May and ordered officers to carry out a review of the practice in July.
That review is still ongoing.
‘SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS’
A Norfolk County Council spokesman said: “We provide staff with the equipment they need to do their job, whether they are working from an office or from home.
“The relatively modest cost of that equipment is far outweighed by the significant savings that flexible working allows us to make on office space and running costs.
“We routinely reuse and recycle equipment wherever possible, making the best use of existing resources and ensuring value for money.”
The authority says hybrid working has enabled it to reduce its office footprint, with three of County Hall's 10 floors now rented out.
£74,000 SPENT ON CHAIRS
Between 2022/23 and 2026/27, the highest costs incurred on providing equipment came in 2024/25, when the council spent £43,378.50.
More than half of this was used to buy 155 high-back operator chairs with adjustable arms.
During the five-year period, the chairs have been the biggest expense for officials, racking up a bill of £74,711.58.
So far this year, the council has spent £13,150 on equipment.
The figures, obtained through the Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, show staff can receive equipment packages including a chair, workstation and 21.5-inch monitor.
People joining the authority are already given a laptop, wireless keyboard and mouse and a headset.
Last year, the average cost per high-back chair was £157.05, while the average task-back chair was £164.43.
PANDEMIC SHIFT TO FLEXIBLE WORKING
Flexible arrangements have become widespread at the council since the pandemic, when around 85pc of staff were shifted out of County Hall.
During that time, the council introduced a one-off £250 allowance for officers to purchase equipment so they could do their jobs from home. This ceased in July 2021.
The review into home working was ordered after County Hall officials admitted they did not know how many staff worked from home.
In response to another FoI submitted by this newspaper, bosses said they did not track the data and do not monitor how often desks are used.
Managers defended the work-from-home arrangements, saying they increase efficiency because staff have to travel less.
Scott Hussey, Reform cabinet member, confirmed a review of the policy was on-going.
RISE IN OVERSEAS WORKING REQUESTS
The debate over flexible working has intensified in recent months after this newspaper revealed a rise in applications from staff and councillors seeking permission to work overseas.
It emerged in August that there had been a spike in the number of staff and councillors applying to work from abroad in 2026, which the policy allows so long as it is approved by a manager.
A total of 131 applications had been made to senior leaders, of which 11 were accepted.
That was an increase on the 66 from the whole of 2025.
Staff have headed to all corners of the globe, working from 15 different European countries.
Applications were also made to work from Australia and New Zealand, as well as Argentina in South America.
Officials said the permissions were mainly sought by senior staff and councillors so they can access council systems from abroad should an emergency arise.
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