Latest news with #workfromoffice
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
TD Bank calls staff back to office four days a week starting this fall, memo says
(Reuters) -TD Bank has asked employees to work from office four days a week starting this fall, according to a memo seen by Reuters on Wednesday. Executive-level staff at the bank will be required to work from the office at least four days a week starting October 6, while non-executive employees are expected to follow suit by November 3, said the memo from TD Bank Group's Chief Human Resources Officer Melanie Burns. "Many locations will be ready to accommodate this change by November 3," Burns said in the memo. After several years of supporting flexible work models following the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are now encouraging employees to return to the office, arguing improved in-person collaboration as a key benefit. In recent months, peers such as the Bank of Montreal and the Royal Bank of Canada have made similar steps. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
5 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
TD Orders Staff Back to Office Four Days a Week Later This Year
Toronto-Dominion Bank became the latest Canadian bank to inform employees on hybrid work arrangements they'll be expected in the office four days a week later this year, according to an internal memo. Canada's second-largest bank said executive-level employees will be required to work from the office four days a week by Oct. 6 while others will be asked to do the same by Nov. 3. The memo, from Chief Human Resources Officer Melanie Burns, was sent to staff Wednesday.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
‘I am disappointed in myself for believing we were more than just a number': AIB staff angered by cut to hybrid working
A decision by AIB to cut hybrid working has been met by frustration and disappointment by some staff at the bank, internal company communications show. The bank informed more than 10,000 employees on Tuesday that staff eligible for hybrid working will be required to work from the office 'a minimum of three days each week' on a phased basis, the tightest rule among Irish retail banks. The company said it believes the new arrangements 'strike the right balance' between flexibility for staff and 'delivering invaluable opportunities and benefits of collaboration and deeper engagement' between colleagues. More than 250 staff members have expressed disappointment and frustration with the decision on an internal company forum seen by The Irish Times. [ AIB calls eligible staff into office three days a week Opens in new window ] 'I am disappointed in myself for believing we were more just a number,' one AIB employee said in response to a company question and answer post on the forum, in which AIB notes that 'deliberate non-compliance with the new policy will not be accepted'. Another staff member labelled the decision a 'really disappointing move'. It 'completely disregards the struggles working families already face with limited childcare and creche spaces available,' the person said. AIB 'A solution to a problem that didn't exist,' another person responded, saying the policy was 'forcing staff to be less productive, less motivated, and more stressed. Bravo.' Some responses criticised the company for the manner in which the decision was communicated. One staff member called it 'an example of very poor communication', calling for 'something this serious that affects staff lives' to have been delivered in-person or over a video call. [ Remote working is here to stay and has whole new language about 'hidden hybrid' and 'mouse jiggling' Opens in new window ] Another AIB employee said the company's Q&A posted to the forum, in addition to the staff email, 'reads like a lecturer to a student with a bamboo stick out... disgusting terminology.' 'There is ZERO thought for your employees here – we will be told where and when we are working and we will be 'MONITORED' for 'NON COMPLIANCE''. 'Who exactly do you think you are talking to after the loyalty shown and the HUGE hours far and beyond our working weeks with no overtime to keep the show on the road during Covid while the Bank raced to make bumper profits and coming back to private ownership?' AIB The new policy, according to the company Q&A post, will not allow in-person days be decided for individuals, with requirements being detailed on a team-by-team basis. A number of staff voiced concerns with this element of the policy. [ Office attendance is becoming a performance metric Opens in new window ] 'You state 'We'll be as flexible and understanding as we can',' an employee said, before pointing a number of restrictions on the flexibility of the policy, 'So what is this flexibility you speak of, can you give more detail please.' AIB Many employees questioned how the new limitations to hybrid working fit with the company's green ethos. 'As part of the Green Agenda, AIB wants to put more cars on the road commuting to their base location, locations already with limited on-site parking.' The employee said the bank had seen five 'hugely successful' years of hybrid working, which was used as a selling point to new staff, and that the reward for that performance was 'making staff come into the office an extra day for no logical reason other than they might bump into someone they know.' Some employees pointed to logistical and financial challenges that the new policy will pose for them. One employee, based in Cork, said the policy will require him to make a '520km round trip' to attend work and will make life harder for people to manage work and family responsibilities 'especially when remote work has already proven effective'. Links to sign up to the Financial Services Union (FSU) were posted in the channel a number of times. In a statement to The Irish Times, the FSU encouraged AIB to 'consider how they can promote sustainability while at the same time putting 10,000 staff back in cars.' The FSU said it will be holding 'a number of members meetings over the next few days' and expects to meet management following that consultation to 'strongly advocate for a reversal of this decision'. It said a survey of almost 3,000 AIB employees conducted in the past 48 hours showed 'real dissatisfaction' at the 'unilateral decision'. Responding to questions from The Irish Times, a spokesman for AIB said 'all employees benefit from in person time with their own team and broader colleagues' and that AIB 'recognise[s] the benefits of structured, hybrid working and are committed to enabling it.' The spokesman said AIB has a 'balanced and comprehensive hybrid working structure in place' and would continue to review the policy.
The Guardian
16-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Starbucks tells corporate staff in US and Canada to work in office at least four days a week
Starbucks has ordered its corporate staff to work from the office at least four days a week from late September and is offering cash payments to those who choose to quit instead. Brian Niccol, the chief executive of the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain, said many of its employees would be required to work in the office for a minimum of four days a week, up from three, from Monday to Thursday. The edict will apply to its Seattle and Toronto support centres and its regional offices in North America. The change does not apply to the UK, where Starbucks has its head office in Chiswick, west London. 'We do our best work when we're together,' Niccol said in a message to employees, referred to as 'partners', on the company's website about 're-establishing an in-office culture'. 'We want leaders and people managers to be physically present with their teams.' He added: 'Being in-person also helps us build and strengthen our culture. As we work to turn the business around, all these things matter more than ever.' Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, including coffee roasters and warehouse staff. It employs about 360,000 people worldwide, including 5,600 in the UK, most of whom work in its cafes. The four-day office policy will come into effect on 29 September. Niccol, who has been in the job for almost a year, has said he wants to take Starbucks back to its coffeehouse roots by improving customers' experience in its cafes and reducing reliance on mobile and takeaway orders. He said: 'We know we're asking a lot of every partner as we work to turn the business around. And we understand that the updated in-office culture may not work for everyone. 'To support those who decide to 'opt out', we're offering a one-time voluntary exit programme with a cash payment for partners who make this choice.' The company did not state the size of the sum. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion A string of businesses in the US and the UK – such as Amazon and HSBC – have ordered their staff back to the office for the majority of the working week. On Tuesday, a survey showed that a fear of having to return to their office desks is having an impact on workers' wellbeing. In February, Starbucks asked its vice-presidents who were working remotely to move to Seattle or Toronto. It is now extending this requirement to all support centre 'people leaders', who are expected to relocate within 12 months. In its previous announcement, Starbucks set out plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees and close several hundred open or vacant job positions, the biggest job cuts in its history, in order to reduce costs as it struggled with rising inflation and economic uncertainty. Niccol faced environmental criticism last year for his 1,000-mile commute to work in the office three days a week. The company allowed him to travel in from his home in Newport Beach, California, to its head office in Seattle via a private jet instead of relocating. Since then, he has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, a spokesperson told Associated Press.
The Guardian
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Starbucks tells corporate staff in US and Canada to work in office at least four days a week
Starbucks has ordered its corporate staff to work from the office at least four days a week from late September and is offering cash payments to those who choose to quit instead. Brian Niccol, the chief executive of the Seattle-headquartered coffee chain, said many of its employees would be required to work in the office for a minimum of four days a week, up from three, from Monday to Thursday. This will apply to its Seattle and Toronto support centres and regional offices in North America. 'We do our best work when we're together,' Niccol said in a message to employees, referred to as 'partners', on the company's website on 're-establishing an in-office culture'. 'We want leaders and people managers to be physically present with their teams.' He added: 'Being in person also helps us build and strengthen our culture. As we work to turn the business around, all these things matter more than ever.' The four-day office policy will come into effect on 29 September. Niccol, who has been in the job for almost a year, has said he wants to take Starbucks back to its coffeehouse roots by improving customers' experience in its cafes and reducing reliance on mobile and takeaway orders. He said: 'We know we're asking a lot of every partner as we work to turn the business around. And we understand that the updated in-office culture may not work for everyone. 'To support those who decide to 'opt out', we're offering a one-time voluntary exit programme with a cash payment for partners who make this choice.' The company did not state the size of the sum. In February, the company asked its vice-presidents who were working remotely to move to Seattle or Toronto. It is now extending this requirement to all support centre 'people leaders', who are expected to relocate within 12 months. In its previous announcement, Starbucks set out plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees and close several hundred open or vacant job positions, the biggest job cuts in its history, in order to reduce costs as it struggled with rising inflation and economic uncertainty. Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, including coffee roasters and warehouse staff. Sign up to Business Today Get set for the working day – we'll point you to all the business news and analysis you need every morning after newsletter promotion Niccol faced environmental criticism last year for his 1,000-mile commute to work in the office three days a week. The company allowed him to travel in from his home in Newport Beach, California, to its head office in Seattle via a private jet instead of relocating. Since then, he has bought a home in Seattle and is frequently seen at the company's headquarters, a spokesperson told the Associated Press.
