Barclays is facing pushback from staff over its return-to-office plans after the UK lender said it would increase mandated office attendance for all employees from October this year.
Employees have provided “significant feedback” to Unite, their union, which has raised staff concerns directly with the bank.
It comes after Barclays tightened the screw on working-from-home arrangements for employees across its global offices last month, as first reported by The Banker.
“Unite has received significant feedback from Barclays employees regarding the proposed increase in office attendance. We have raised our members’ concerns directly with the bank and continue to engage constructively on the issue,” a spokesperson for the union said.
The bank’s managing directors will be expected to come into the office four days per week, while all other employees will face a mandated three-day-per-week policy beginning in October.
“Most of our colleagues who are not already working in the office three days [per week] will align with our broader approach across the bank,” a Barclays spokesperson told The Banker.
The additional day for the bank’s senior leaders will “support collaboration, decision-making and leadership visibility”, they added.
Employees received the memo with information specific to their country offices last month.
The changes are expected to affect around half of the bank’s 45,000 staff in the UK, including those in operations and technology functions.
Barclays said: “We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together in our physical locations. Our minimum time in office requirements vary by business area, reflecting the nature of the work and the needs of the business.”
The bank’s new rules are in line with moves by other European peers, including HSBC and Santander, which are stepping up mandated office attendance.
TSB staff could bring legal action against new owner Santander over the bank’s plans to bring staff into the office three days a week, after the Spanish lender told TSB employees in June that they must attend the office on a stricter basis from next year.
“We are . . . calling on banks to comprehensively assess the impact of any changes to working arrangements, including the effect on colleagues’ work-life balance, wellbeing, productivity and ability to perform their roles effectively,” a Unite spokesperson said.
They added: “Any changes should be evidence based and introduced in a way that supports both employees and business performance.”