NatWest announced that they will be implementing flexible measures, allowing most of their staff to work from home. Their new remote working policy enables its 64,000 employees to work both from home and the office while only 8,300 staff will be expected to work full-time in the office.
Remote work, before the pandemic, was common in certain industries like IT or marketing. But now, companies realize that they can shift towards this virtual model with the right strategies. In the financial sector, there are two opposite postures. Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan want their employees back at the office, and NatWest, CitiGroup, among others, looking to embrace this new virtual reality.
Is NatWest Going Remote?
After working remotely during 2020, the bank will be changing its working structure and policies. There will not be the same guideline/rule for everyone as flexibility depends on specific roles. It also depends on the staff itself, as some people – a minority – are looking forward to returning to the office.
As Alison Rose, NatWest, Chief Executive, told the staff:
There is no ‘one size fits all’, as not every role is the same. Some roles, and some people, will need to be back in the office 100% of the time – that’s just the nature of the role; they cannot be done from home. Other people will be able to work remotely the majority of the time, and for others there will be a hybrid solution.Alison Rose, NatWest Chief Executive
20,400 staff members will be able to work remotely – anywhere in the UK – and will only have to mandatory spend a minimum of 2 days a month in the office. More than half of employees will be dividing the work week between home and office; this option is mainly for the customer service staff who continues to deal with clients online.
NatWest is not going fully remote, but a big part of their staff is. The new flexible policy adapts to each employees’ needs taking into account their roles and responsibilities. Despite half of the company’s employees working mostly remote, the UK bank doesn’t have any plans to close any office, or at least they haven’t been announced.
