Guardian’s head office infested with BEDBUGS in fresh blow to newspaper’s push to get journalists back into the office

But staffers will be allowed to work from home while the experts get a grip on the infestation.

Earlier in September, they carried out an initial deep clean across the second floor of its headquarters - but it was not enough.

Staff have already made further reports of bedbugs around the office.

The company's chiefs penned an email to their juniors, allowing them to work from home if they did not want to work in the office while the pests are purged.

The email said: "We appreciate this might be unsettling for some staff."

Following the bedbug surge, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) sent staff a link to a Guardian article about the dangers of the insects.

Journalists will be allowed to work from home if they feel 'uncomfortable'

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The organisation also urged reporters to request support from a union representative if they felt pressured to go into the office.

But, since the start of 2024, the Guardian's editor, Katherine Viner, demanded staff attend the workplace a minimum of three days a week - just like several Whitehall departments.

The newspaper suffered a setback after many workers did not return to the workplace following the chaos of the Covid pandemic.

The NUJ complained the lack of consultation over the plans regarding the new regulations imposed on the workforce.

The left-leaning news publisher is encouraging to get staffers back in the office just as Labour pledged to make it even easier to work from home.

Convicted fraudster and First Secretary of State Louise Haigh told delegates at the Trade Unions Congress (TUC) firms would need to show they "properly" weighed up an employee's application before turning it down.

"If an employer wants to turn down a request, they will have to sit down with their employee, properly consider and explain why," she said.

"There's kids to pick up.

"Parents to look after. Families who rely on us at short notice. And sometimes, a little bit of flexibility can make all the difference."

Labour is poised to set out more legislation under the Employment Rights Act to bolster workers' protections while protecting "flexible working".

Under the proposed changes, businesses that refuse an application to work from home application would be obligated to set out how they arrived at their decision and offer a clear justification.

The precise details of how the right to work from home will be strengthened remain unclear beyond this.