Union Attacks NatWest Plan to Cut Remote Work, Require Office Days

3-line summary

• NatWest said it is moving to a hybrid approach requiring staff to attend the office at least two days a week starting in February, calling the policy still competitive with the rest of the finance industry and saying exceptions will be made for employees needing additional flexibility; a NatWest spokesman said the change reflects the value of in-person collaboration while giving staff time to plan ahead.
• The bank is abolishing its "remote first" category, which let 13,497 workers attend the office only about twice a month, and requiring 17,272 hybrid workers to increase office attendance; union Unite said many affected workers are in lower-paid grades and that the changes will raise travel and childcare costs while disrupting arrangements for disabled workers and carers.
• Unite general secretary Sharon Graham called the move a "kick in the teeth" for workers and accused NatWest of "complete contempt" for reneging on existing agreements, urging the bank to "ditch these proposals and engage properly with its workers"; the move follows similar office-attendance pushes at Amazon, Boots, and JPMorgan, while Barclays extended its transition period last month after staff and union backlash over a three-day office requirement.

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