Natwest is facing backlash from trade union Unite over a new plan to require workers to attend the office for a mandatory two days a week.
On Tuesday, Unite the Union, a trade union which represents over 1 million workers across private, public, and voluntary sectors, including some Natwest employees, said the lender’s decision was “out of touch with the realities facing its workforce.”
From February next year, all employees at the bank will be required to work from the office for two days a week.
Some employees at the FTSE 100 bank who are ‘remote-first’ workers are currently required to attend the office for two days a month, which will no longer be the case when the new policy comes into force.
It is the latest example of firms calling workers back into the office after widespread work from home orders during the pandemic.
But Unite general secretary Sharon Graham said the move 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,” Graham said.
Natwest ‘must ditch’ office attendance plans
Graham added Natwest “must ditch these proposals and engage properly with its workers.”
“For Natwest to impose these changes while reneging on existing agreements shows complete contempt for its workforce,” Graham said.
Nearly 17,300 staff at the bank follow a hybrid working pattern where they are required to attend the office at least three days a fortnight, and a further 13,500 are remote-first – roles which are only required to attend the office twice a month.
The remainder of its UK staff, which includes those in customer facing roles, those working in branches, or traders, and other customer-facing roles, must already go in to the office least four days a week.
“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,” a Natwest spokesman said.
“Flexible working remains an important part of how we work, but we’ve also learnt more about the value that spending time together brings for our colleagues and customers,” the spokesperson added.