UK banking giant NatWest has told tens of thousands of employees to spend more time in the office in a move described as a "kick in the teeth" by union Unite.
Editorial
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In 2021, post-pandemic, the bank introduced a three-tier working plan which required some staff to work from the office full-time, while others could adopt a remote-first or hybrid office-home strategy.
Now, the bank has abolished the remote-first category, affecting up to 13,497 workers who currently attend the office only around two days per month. They will now need to work on-site two days a week. A further 17,272 hybrid workers will also be required to spend more time in the workplace.
In a statement to Reuters, a NatWest spokesperson says: "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."
However, Unite has accused the bank of "reneging" on its commitments, warning that the changes will increase financial pressures on employees and undermine arrangements relied upon by carers and disabled workers.
The union also claims that NatWest failed to honour commitments agreed as part of a 2025 pay deal that included a jointly negotiated blueprint setting out how future changes to office attendance would be consulted on with workers and their union.
Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham says: "This is yet another kick in the teeth for workers who have suffered years of real-terms pay cuts and who are struggling to make ends meet. NatWest's decision is completely out of touch with the realities facing its workforce. Thousands of workers face higher travel and childcare costs and disruption to caring responsibilities."