Hybrid workers will have to spend at least two days a week in the office, Lloyds Banking Group told employees, with “card withdrawal data” used to monitor their returns.
Lloyds Banking Group’s decision to change its working from home policy was announced in a memo from chief executive Charlie Nunn yesterday – as first reported by the Financial Times.
The swipe data will be shared with senior leadership teams, and in cases where employees don’t want to increase the number of days they spend in the office, managers may have “more formal conversations” about their role, according to the note.
“This is about performing, supporting each other and creating justice,” Nunn said in the note. “We want flexible working to be fair, inclusive, and productive for all.”
He also confirmed that the bank will run pilot plans in the coming months to test its approach to “compressed working”, where staff work full time but on fewer days.
The changes will apply to office-based employees who work on a hybrid model, with exceptions for workers with disabilities or long-term health conditions.
The “vast majority” is expected to change hands by September, though the note said the bank would ask colleagues to shift “as quickly as possible.”
Posts on internal Lloyds message boards reveal thousands of responses, with some employees expressing frustration about the cost of commuting, worrying it would benefit those with shorter commutes to work, and expecting employees to spend at least two days in the office even if their team is spread out geographically.
Lloyds argued that the announcement “brings clarity to our hybrid approach going forward and will enable us to continue to best meet the evolving needs of our customers,” and that its hybrid approach to the business has been in place since 2021.
The bank is the latest financial institution to require employees to return to the office at least a few days a week.
In a letter titled “Working Together” sent to employees on March 30, Senior Executive Vice President Roman Regelman said: “The number of days flexi employees will be in the office will change to at least three days a week. Those who do not adhere to the three-day policy are subject to corrective action.” “.
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