Thousands of Barclays staff call for back-to-office rule reversal
Staff are pushing back against proposed Barclays rules cutting down working from home.
Thousands of Barclays staff are pushing for the bank to drop its tougher back-to-office policy after it announced plans for employees to spend more time in the office.
Workers who had been expected to attend the office for two days a week will, from next month, be required to be there for at least three days a week, according to the bank.
Unite, which represents about 36,000 Barclays staff, is urging the bank to reverse the move. The union is also seeking exemptions and a one-off payment for employees to help cover higher travel and childcare expenses.
Barclays said many employees already work in the office for three or more days, depending on business need.
In July, the bank sent staff a memo setting out its expectations, including that senior leaders should work in the office at least four days a week.
Unite national officer Rick Coyle said thousands of employees have signed an open letter asking Barclays to reverse the decision, and that the number of signatories "continues to rise".
He said Barclays is "trying to fix a problem that doesn't exist" by making its work-from-home rules less flexible.
The union says thousands of workers have put forward suggestions, which it has turned into a list of demands.
These include: an exemption for commutes longer than 40 minutes or 35 miles exemptions during Christmas, summer, and school holidays a maximum one day in the office for carers flexibility for wrap-around childcare, and childcare vouchers and onsite creches to be explored a one-off payment to offset costs
Barclays said in a statement that it recognised "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," a spokesperson said.
The bank would not say how many staff would be affected by the change. However, the BBC understands that the rules differ by team, with investment bankers, for example, in the office five days a week.
The coronavirus pandemic forced many businesses to allow staff to work from home, depending on the nature of the business.
Since then, many organisations have been bringing workers back into the office, despite evidence that hybrid working may be the best fit.
Amazon, Boots and JP Morgan are among the organisations that introduced policies requiring head office staff to be in every day after the pandemic.