Union attacks NatWest plans to reduce working from home
The bank says workers will be required to attend the office at least two days a week from February.
**Union attacks NatWest plans to reduce working from home**
The Unite union has criticised a NatWest plan to cut the home-working rights of 30,000 employees.
NatWest says it is shifting to a hybrid model under which staff will have to be in the office at least two days a week from February.
The bank says the policy remains highly competitive compared with the wider finance sector, and that exceptions will be made for colleagues who need extra flexibility.
But Unite said NatWest’s decision was “out of touch with the realities facing its workforce”, with many employees facing higher travel and childcare costs.
Companies have been steadily bringing staff back into offices since working from home became standard for some office workers during the Covid pandemic.
In January last year, Amazon told staff to return to the office five days a week after they had been working from home two days a week.
Other companies, including Boots and JP Morgan, have introduced rules requiring head office staff to be in every day.
But Barclays faced a backlash from staff last month over plans to require workers to be in the office three days a week. In response to staff and union complaints, it introduced a longer transition period.
Unite said NatWest was scrapping its “remote first” employment category, which allows 13,497 workers to go into the office about twice a month, and forcing 17,272 hybrid workers to increase their office attendance.
The union says many of the affected workers are in lower-paid grades, and that the new rules will add to cost-of-living pressures while disrupting arrangements for disabled workers and carers.
In a statement, Unite general secretary Sharon Graham described NatWest’s move as a “kick in the teeth” for its workers.
“Thousands of workers face higher travel and childcare costs and disruption to caring responsibilities,” she said.
“For NatWest to impose these changes while reneging on existing agreements shows complete contempt for its workforce.”
Graham urged NatWest to “ditch these proposals and engage properly with its workers”.
A NatWest spokesman said: “Flexible working remains an important part of how we work but we’ve also learned more about the value that spending time together brings for our colleagues and customers - helping teams collaborate, share ideas, build relationships and learn from one another.
“That’s why we’re introducing a more consistent approach across the bank, with colleagues expected to spend at least two days a week in the office, depending on the needs of their role and business area.
“We recognise this will be a change for some colleagues and we’re giving them time to plan ahead and will support them through the transition.”