Barclays’ 3-Day Office Rule Shows How Hybrid Work Is Changing

For workers who have spent the past few years getting used to hybrid work, another day in the office can feel like more than just another day at their desks.

That is what is happening at Barclays, where a new return-to-office policy has triggered a backlash among employees in the UK.

Starting next month, most Barclays employees in the country will be expected to work from the office at least three days a week, up from two days stated in the current policy, while senior leaders will be expected to be in four days a week.

The change has already drawn opposition from Unite, the union representing close to 80% of Barclays' UK workforce. The union says thousands of employees have signed an open letter calling on the bank to delay the policy, while also asking for measures including compensation for additional commuting costs and greater flexibility for workers who live farther from their offices.

Barclays, a London-headquartered bank with operations spanning retail banking, credit cards, corporate and investment banking, and wealth management, though yet to agree to the demand, says the policy is intended to balance flexibility with the benefits of having employees together, including collaboration and leadership visibility.

“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 said in a Financial Times report.

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Why the backlash?

While workers have not all cited the same reasons for opposing the change, reports offer some clues. Thousands of staff have backed calls for employees who live more than 40 minutes from their workplace to be exempted from the new rule, alongside a one-off payment to help offset the additional cost of coming into the office more often.

Workers who previously worked from home two days a week and now have to come in three to four days have not only gained more commuting time but also expenses associated with those days.

Then there is also a question over how Barclays arrived at the decision to increase the number of days at the work site.

According to FT, Unite has raised concerns about what the new arrangement could mean for staff, as this could pose “substantial challenges for many employees” and accused the bank of failing to provide an “evidence-based rationale” for increasing the number of days staff are expected to spend in the office.

Barclays is not the only company facing backlash

Across the banking industry, employees have pushed back against stricter office requirements, with some disputes becoming considerably more heated.

At JPMorgan Chase, the backlash was strong enough that the bank shut down comments on an internal webpage announcing its return-to-office policy. Dozens of employees had criticised the move, while at least one called for affected workers to consider unionising, according to people familiar with the matter.

Deutsche Bank encountered a similar reaction when it introduced a stricter three-day office requirement. Staff took to internal message boards to criticise the policy, with some pointing out a rather practical problem: the bank did not have enough desks to accommodate everyone expected to come in.