Federal public servants are being urged to return to the office.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says he wants to engage personally with the public sector as it prepares the next phase of the policy response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mr Morrison told Australian Public Service leaders this week that one of the positive lessons to emerge from the COVID-19 crisis was the way the public service “was able to swarm to solve problems”.

Senior government ministers and officials are reportedly concerned that “pyjama policymaking”, especially in COVID-free Canberra, could somehow lead to rising costs, a lack of focus and reduced productivity.

Australian Public Service Commissioner Peter Woolcott says one in five federal agencies had to move their entire workforce out of the office for a period of time. Earlier this year, more than half of the 145,000-strong APS workforce was working from home.

In the Zoom session with APS heads, the PM was asked was asked about what he thought the right balance of flexible working would be.

“Within departments and across departments, I think we have to have good processes for harvesting the learnings about what has worked well and lock that stuff in,” he said.

“But don’t go; ‘Oh, 2020 was pretty good, we all got on pretty well that year and did stuff’ and then we throw it all away and we go back to how we’re doing things before.

“That would be a great failure and I think that would be that would disrespect the achievements of the public service have made this year.

“I don’t think honestly there is any substitute for people coming together and being in a workplace environment.

“I think that’s positive from a productivity point of view, from a collaboration point of view, and I think it’s positive from a social point of view, frankly, and people’s own wellbeing.

“I think it has taught us, though, about how we can be a bit more flexible on some of these things. I think there is improvements around the edges. I’ve always been one for flexibility in workplace arrangements and that is a very much a collaborative exercise and so I’m open to those sorts of things.

“I don’t think the lesson of 2020 is everyone can work from home from now on. No, we want people back in the offices working together, solving problems together. And as good as the technology is and as it’s on show today, I’d rather be with you all. I’d rather be able to see you all and I’d rather engage with you all”.

This year’s State of the Service Report should be tabled in parliament next week.