CIVIL servants are working in conditions that breach government calls for “social distancing” between workers to avoid spreading the coronavirus infection, it was revealed yesterday.

A survey by the Public & Commercial Services union (PCS) found that most government departments have failed to introduce social-distancing measures at work during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In the survey, 67 per cent of civil servants reported that their workplaces have enacted no social-distancing measures and nearly a quarter of workplaces haven’t issued sickness-absence guidance.

PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka said: “This pandemic presents many challenges for our members, and they should be supported in their vital work helping people access universal credit, keeping our justice system running, helping self-employed people access money and protecting our borders.

“The legacy of austerity must be addressed and the government must invest in staff to fight the coronavirus and ensure that our members are safe at work.”