NatWest tightens office attendance rules for 30,000 UK staff

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NatWest tightens office attendance rules

Highlights

NatWest will require 13,500 remote-first and 17,000 hybrid UK staff to work from the office at least twice a week starting February.
The Unite union opposes the tighter attendance rules, citing concerns over pay pressure, caring responsibilities, and lack of meaningful consultation.
Barclays has already softened its office attendance policy after employee resistance, while US banks like JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs enforce stricter in-office requirements.

New attendance policy takes effect in February

As first reported by Financial Times, the UK bank has told 13,500 remote-first employees and 17,000 hybrid staff that they must work from the office at least twice a week from February. Remote-first staff currently go in twice a month, while hybrid employees attend three times a fortnight.

The change does not affect NatWest's office-first group, which already makes up much of the rest of the bank's 59,000 employees and is expected to be in the office four times a week. The decision, announced to staff on Tuesday, adds to a broader wave of return-to-office measures across the banking sector.

NatWest says flexible working remains an important part of its operating model, but it has also learned more about the benefits of spending time together for colleagues and customers. The bank says office time helps teams collaborate, share ideas, build relationships and learn from one another, and adds that staff will have time to plan ahead before the transition.

Union resistance adds pressure on workplace strategy

Unite is opposing the move, arguing that the tighter attendance rules will hurt workers already dealing with real-terms pay pressure and rising living costs. General secretary Sharon Graham calls the decision another blow to staff, while national officer for finance Caren Evans says homeworking is essential for many employees managing caring responsibilities or health conditions.

The union also says NatWest is pushing through the changes without meaningful consultation and failing to honour a pay deal that included a jointly negotiated framework for discussing future attendance changes. The dispute highlights how return-to-office mandates remain a flashpoint in UK banking, even as lenders seek to reset working practices.

Other banks have faced similar resistance. Barclays has already softened a policy that required staff to be in the office at least three days a week after opposition from employees and trade unions, while U.S. banks including JPMorgan and Goldman Sachs have taken a tougher line on full-time office presence.

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