Barclays hardens stance on hybrid working as staff told to come into office more
The bank is the latest large company to roll back its flexible working policies brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Barclays has told staff to come into the office for an extra day each week, making it the latest company to tighten its hybrid working policy.
The bank said in a memo to its 85,000 employees that they will need to come into the office for the extra day, which for most workers means three days a week instead of two.
Large corporates have been rolling back their flexible working policies brought in during the Covid-19 pandemic in recent months, with Amazon and JP Morgan both saying employees must come to the office every day.
Barclays’ client-facing staff, such as its investment bankers, are already mostly required to be in the office five days a week.
“We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together to collaborate in our physical locations,” a spokesperson for the bank said.
“Our minimum time in-office requirements vary between business areas depending on the nature of work and needs of the business.”
Remote working policies were introduced by most companies during Covid-19 lockdowns, with office employees the most affected by them.
The most recent official data showed 28% of the UK workforce is in hybrid work, meaning spending some days at the office and some at home.
An Office for National Statistics survey found people get more rest and exercise when they are able to spend some days at home.
The Labour Government is changing the law to give people the right to work more flexibly.
Its upcoming Employment Rights Bill is set to make hybrid working an option for all unless their employer can prove it is unreasonable.
Earlier on Thursday, TV personality Lord Alan Sugar claimed a lot of young people “just want to sit at home” and should get back to the office.
Lord Sugar, who owns a large portfolio of London office buildings, told the BBC: “They’ve got to get their bums back into the office.”
Advertising giant WPP has also told its 100,000 workers that they must be in the office at least four days a week.
PwC, Santander and Asda are among the other companies to have tightened their work-from-home policies in recent months.
