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Barclays Tightens Office Rules as Thousands Back Union Push

Barclays says the change will strengthen in-person collaboration and leadership visibility as talks with Unite continue.

Overview

  • The bank has told many UK teams they must shift from two to three days in the office and said senior leaders should attend four days.
  • Thousands of Barclays employees have signed a letter organised by Unite opposing the move and the union says support for the protest is still growing.
  • Staff are pressing for exemptions for commutes longer than 40 minutes, a one-off payment to offset extra travel and childcare costs, and protections for carers.
  • Barclays says it is engaging with Unite but has not accepted the demands and the new attendance expectations are due to be implemented imminently.
  • The row mirrors wider pushback at other banks and comes as the UK government plans to broaden workers’ rights to request home working, a shift that could affect firms’ office policies.