PwC to let staff spend half their working hours at home

Around 22,000 staff at auditing giant PwC have been told they can spend around half their working hours at home and end work early on summer Fridays.

The company said it would allow staff to spend on average 40% to 60% of their time on remote working, if they choose.

The staff will be expected to spend the rest of the time around their colleagues, either in the PwC offices, or alongside clients.

In July and August, a majority of staff will also be able to go home, or power down if they are already at home, at lunchtime on Fridays.

The company said it further plans to let staff decide if they want to change the times they start or finish work on any given day if it is more effective for their working pattern.

“We’ve long promoted flexible working, and we hope today’s announcements make it much more the norm rather than the exception. We want our people to feel trusted and empowered,” said chairman Kevin Ellis.

“These changes are in direct response to soundings from our people, who’ve said they value a mix of working from home and in the office. We want to help enshrine new working patterns so they outlast the pandemic.

“Without conscious planning now there’s a risk we lose the best bits of these new ways of working when the economy opens up again.”

Companies around the UK are being forced to consider how they will return their staff to work when restrictions end.

Under the current schedule, office workers will be able to return to their places of work in June, however this could change if the pandemic shifts.

Other companies which have embraced a hybrid model or full-time home working include BP and Nationwide.

Laura Hinton, chief people officer at PwC, said: “The policies will be phased in as lockdown restrictions ease and more people return to the office over the coming months.”