From February 2027, NatWest orders 13,000 staff back to desks two days a week

Office attendance set to rise

From February 2027, 13,000 NatWest employees will be expected to attend the office twice a week instead of twice a month. The change affects staff who currently have a remote-first arrangement.

The affected roles include technology, security, data analytics and human resources. The article describes these employees as including some of the bank’s lowest-paid workers. Other NatWest staff already have different arrangements. Traders, branch workers and relationship managers must attend four days a week, while communications, administrative and analytics employees work a hybrid schedule involving six office days a month.

Unite criticises the decision

Unite said the new requirement was a “kick in the teeth” for the 13,000 employees affected. General secretary Sharon Graham said workers had endured years of real-terms pay cuts and were struggling to make ends meet.

Graham also objected to NatWest changing arrangements while, she said, reneging on existing agreements. She called on the bank to withdraw the proposals and engage with its workforce. The dispute follows Barclays’ decision to soften its return-to-office plans after a staff backlash backed by Unite, the article reports.

Bank promises transition support

NatWest acknowledged that the policy would represent a change for some employees. The bank said it would give them time to plan and provide support during the transition.