Latest news with #officeReturn
Reuters
3 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Canada's RBC asks staff to return to office four days a week
TORONTO, May 29 (Reuters) - Royal Bank of Canada ( opens new tab has asked employees to be in office four times a week starting in September, according to a memo seen by Reuters, prompting disapproval among some staff discussing the changes in internal chat groups. The memos from various business heads were sent to staff on Thursday shortly after the bank reported second-quarter earnings that were lower than analysts' expectations due to a rise in loan loss provisions to prepare for uncertain times. The memo said the rule does not apply for roles that are fully remote or are already in full-time office arrangements. "RBC is a relationship-driven bank and in-person, human connection is core to our winning culture. We set the expectation in 2023 that we'd come together in the office for the majority of the time, with the flexibility to work remotely one to two days a week," a spokesperson said. A company-wide internal chat group that discussed the change in policy raised questions such as additional travel time and expenses related to transport, a source told Reuters. The Canadian lender's decision comes shortly after U.S. bank JPMorgan Chase (JPM.N), opens new tab, in January asked its employees who are on hybrid work schedules to return to the office five days a week starting in March. RBC has over 94,000 full-time employees across global offices, as of April 30.
Fast Company
6 days ago
- Business
- Fast Company
The return-to-office mandate is here. So is the open office. One has to go.
It's official: The era of remote work flexibility is over. From Fortune 100 companies to federal agencies, employees are being summoned back to office towers and cubicles under sweeping return-to-work (RTO) mandates. According to a January 2025 survey by Resume Builder, nine in ten companies will require workers back in the office by the end of the year, with 30% already enforcing full five-day, in-office schedules. The problem? We've failed to consider what employees lose when they leave their home workspaces behind. The office doesn't just move—it takes away employees' control over their environment. At home, employees discovered something revolutionary: control. They could adjust the lighting. Lower the noise. Choose their chair, temperature, background music, and even the scent of their workspace. For the first time, people could truly customize their environment to optimize their productivity. And it worked. Studies show employees working from home report lower stress, better focus, and higher productivity. But when they return to standardized open layouts complete with bright overhead lights, echoing voices, and a one-size-fits-all desk, they don't just lose flexibility; they lose the ability to perform at their best. For neurodiverse individuals, the consequences are even more acute. People with sensory sensitivities and learning differences such as ADHD, autism, anxiety, and dyslexia may find traditional offices overwhelming, disorienting, even paralyzing. In fact, 40% of neurodiverse individuals remain unemployed, often because the workspace itself is the barrier. A few years ago, I walked into a client's office and saw rows of open desks, bright overhead lighting, people chatting all around, and I instantly thought, 'There's no way I could work here.' As someone with dyslexia and ADHD, these environments have always been a challenge. I used to spend hours trying to find quiet corners, using noise-canceling headphones just to focus, or even working odd hours at home where I could control my space. That was a lightbulb moment for me: The modern office isn't designed for everyone—and certainly not for people like me. We talk a lot about square footage, seating charts, and collaboration spaces, but rarely do we talk about airflow, acoustics, texture, or privacy control. Yet these are the levers that most directly affect how people feel and perform at work. And research backs this up: Biophilic design —the integration of natural elements like plants, wood textures, and natural light— reduces stress by 30% and boosts cognitive function by 15%. Adjustable lighting and noise levels help people maintain focus, especially those with sensory sensitivities. Personalized workspaces help employees stay more engaged, more productive, and twice as likely to stay with their employer. These aren't luxury features. They are performance infrastructure that unlock human potential. IF YOU WANT A PEACEFUL AND EFFICIENT TRANSITION BACK TO OFFICE, GIVE EMPLOYEES CONTROL Return-to-office doesn't have to be a loss. It can be a gain. But only if we rethink how the office functions. It's time to move away from rigid, standardized layouts and instead design environments that adapt to the employee—not the other way around. That means letting go of the idea that more desks equals more work, or that open layouts naturally lead to collaboration. In reality, employees need environments that help them stay focused, manage stress, and feel comfortable being themselves. We've spent the last five years learning what people need to be productive. They need flexibility, sensory awareness, and control over their space. Ignoring those lessons now won't bring back the old office culture—it will just breed resentment and churn. Let's stop asking workers to leave their best work conditions behind. Instead, let's meet them halfway with offices that reflect what we've learned: Control is not a perk—it's a prerequisite for performance. As we usher in a new era of work, let's not default to old environments. Let's create spaces where everyone—not just the neurotypical, not just the extroverts—can thrive. Because when we design for the extreme, we uplift the mean.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Come back to the office or risk bonus cuts, HSBC staff told
HSBC staff in the UK have been told that they must return to working in the office for at least three days a week, or their bonuses could be cut. A memo sent to staff noted that those 'consistently not meeting 60 per cent office attendance will be considered in an individual's overall performance assessment, which could lead to variable pay being impacted'. While the company already had a hybrid working policy for three days per week attendance, the introduction of the data-led attendance role call is intended to support management in overseeing compliance with it. From September it will now contribute towards overall assessment of variable pay, with managers given data on a monthly basis over those who fail to hit the 60 per cent target. Around 24,000 people work across the company's high street and commercial bank divisions around Britain. It is the latest crackdown on working from home in the finance sector, with more banks demanding staff return to the office. Senior bankers at Lloyds were told at the start of this year that bonuses could be cut unless they spent a minimum of two days a week in the office, while JP Morgan wanted staff back in the office full time from March. Around the same time, Barclays upped their in-office attendance requirements from two days to three. James Gorman, chairman emeritus of Morgan Stanley, has previously criticised employees wanting to work from home too frequently. 'They don't get to choose their compensation, they don't get to choose their promotion, they don't get to choose to stay home five days a week,' he said in a 2023 interview. 'I want them with other employees at least three or four days.' JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon has also said it is important for younger employees to learn from seniors in the office. 'I'm not against people not wanting to [work in the office], but what they will not do is tell JPMorgan what to do,' he added recently.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS NAB staff furious as management demands return to the office
NAB Bank staff are reportedly furious after being ordered back to the office for three days a week. An email sent by NAB HR boss Sarah White told the bank's 39,000 staff that the bank was transitioning to an 'office-based working model' in an email seen by the Australian Financial Review. Now, staff working two days must increase to three, and leaders must do four. 'We are taking an approach that ensures flexibility and supports all colleagues to respond to personal-life circumstances,' Ms White said. She said office attendance 'supports collaboration, teamwork and problem-solving for customers'. The news spread quickly on NAB's internal messaging service, where employees responded with hundreds of shocked, angry, and broken heart emojis. Several Aussie workplaces have brought in return-of-office mandates in recent months, including Amazon, Dell, Tabcorp, and Flight Centre. Research commissioned by recruiter Robert Half found that 39 per cent of employers plan to mandate five days a week in the office for employees in 2025, up from 36 per cent of employers who did so in 2024. 'Employers are back in the driver's seat and dictate office attendance, knowing others are doing the same,' explained Nicole Gorton a Director at Robert Half. 'As workers adjust back to the pre-pandemic way of working and observe similar mandates elsewhere, they are less reluctant to oppose these mandates in their current workplace.' However, a separate survey by people2people found that 58 per cent of employees feel increased office attendance harms their wellbeing, and 26 per cent would consider quitting if required to come in more often. The survey said 37 per cent of job seekers say they'd expect a 5-10 per cent pay rise to return to the office full-time, and a further 32 per cent say even a small bump would be expected.
Bloomberg
18-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
NYC Bankers Who Live in NJ Game Out Commute as Rail Strike Upends RTO Plans
By , Lauren Tara Lacapra, and Josyana Joshua Save The initiative by banks and other employers in New York to bring back workers to the office is being undermined by an unexpected roadblock in a neighboring state. As the strike by New Jersey Transit locomotive engineers loomed over Monday's commute, Garden State residents were eager for updates on negotiations as they mulled options for getting to work in Manhattan if trains remain shut down. NJ Transit officials and the union representing its rail engineers said that unscheduled talks Saturday in Newark went well. More talks were being held Sunday.
