Yahoo Finance Nationwide scraps ‘work from anywhere’ policy and orders staff back to the office
Nationwide has scrapped its “work anywhere” policy and told thousands of staff they must return to the office at least twice a week.
The building society has told its 13,000 non-branch staff that the policy, which was introduced by its former chief executive during the pandemic, will no longer be in place from April next year.
The move marks the latest move away from the post-Covid working from home boom, with many companies seeking to clarify when their staff should come into the office.
HSBC, BT and BlackRock have all ordered their staff back to the office for several days per week this year to boost productivity.
The change comes after the lender attempted to tweak its policy last August after the appointment of chief executive Debbie Crosbie.
The change urged staff to spend 20pc to 40pc of their hours in the office but the guidance led to confusion and few complied, prompting the society to make two days per week compulsory.
The shift has won support from the Nationwide Group Staff Union (NGSU), which suggested it will lead to a more consistent approach.
Some exemptions will apply to staff who cannot attend the office two days per week.
In a note to members, Tim Rose, general secretary of NGSU said: “We know that some people will be disappointed by the policy but, just a few years ago, the prospect of such a work-life balance would have been a pipe dream. And we shouldn’t forget that working from home is something that is not an option for most of our colleagues in the branch network.”
He added that the new agreement “helps all parties move forward... and is an important next step in the evolution of ways of working.”
The shake-up reverses a policy launched under former chief executive Joe Garner which allowed staff to work anywhere in the UK.
The policy was designed to put staff in “control” of how they balanced their work and home lives”.
Garner’s policy was introduced in 2021 after a poll of Nationwide staff found 57pc wanted to work from home full time, and 36pc wanted a mix of home and office work.
Nationwide confirmed the changes and said it was still committed to flexible working for staff.
A spokesman said: “Hybrid working is an important part of Nationwide’s flexible arrangements. Colleagues are already expected to work in an office for at least one or two days per week, depending on their role. This change simply moves the minimum to two days for everyone.”
Nationwide is the world’s largest building society with more than 680 branches across the UK.
