Mustafa Assistant Director, Compliance Strategy

All HMRC locations are hybrid.

• So no personal desk (but might have personal equipment to support colleagues who need it) but might sit in a designated area for your team.
• Given HMRC has a hybrid work pattern you would need to take your laptop home to WFH, you cannot log in from non-HMRC equipment for security reasons.
• Lockers are available

30 April, 2025 10:37

Thank you Mustafa, much appreciated. Are lockers available from day one? If you work from the office two days in a row can you live your laptop in your locker, together with other personal items?

30 April, 2025 11:08

Mustafa Assistant Director, Compliance Strategy

It would depend on the location (some buildings don't have a locker for every person) and knowledge of your manager (the process) on getting one from day one but likelihood is low, based on my experience.

Based on your scenario, yes you can leave equipment and items in a locker on consecutive days.

However, there are plenty of caveats (e.g. site visits count as day in the office so would need to take kit home if can't get to office before visit, flu season might not feel well enough to commute but can WFH so would take kit home on off chance, if commute is heavily dependent on public transportation and risk of strikes/delays).

30 April, 2025 11:25

Sally P. Marketing And Social Media Advisor

Offices have 'Approach and Use' lockers too, so they aren't allocated to anyone, but you can find a free one and use throughout the day and overnight if necessary.

30 April, 2025 11:29

Prudencia O. Tax Professional Manager (Grade 6)

I'm based in Cardiff, but I believe the setup is broadly the same across all our regional centres, including Edinburgh.

We don’t have permanently allocated desks unless you have a workplace adjustment in place—such as a specific chair or desk setup—so occasionally you’ll see a label noting that a particular desk is reserved. That said, if the person isn’t in, those desks are usually still available to use for the day.

There are a variety of workspaces to suit different needs—collaboration areas, quiet zones, and focus desks—so there’s always somewhere suitable to sit depending on the type of work you're doing.

As for laptops, you're not required to carry them back and forth, but I personally prefer to. It gives me flexibility in case I decide to work from home the next day or need to work while travelling. For example, this week I’ve been in London, Bristol, and Cardiff, so having my laptop with me has been essential for working securely on the move.

And yes, lockers are provided so you can store items when needed.

30 April, 2025 14:21