‘Hybrid’ future for workers beckons
Major city employers reveal radical plans for return of workers
It’s important that a distinction is drawn between the reopening of offices as restrictions ease and the longerterm future of what our workplaces look like.
SOME of Birmingham’s biggest office-based firms have outlined plans for home workers to return to city centre offices after Covid restrictions are set to ease within two weeks.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced plans to end lockdown, while the Government said employers should consult staff about returning to offices.
HSBC, KPMG and Deutsche Bank, which all have major bases in Birmingham, said they would be implementing a hybrid strategy, which will see employees share their workload between home and the office.
Ian Stuart, the chief executive of HSBC UK, said some workers had already returned to its headquarters in a socially distanced environment in Centenary Square.
But the bank, which has up to 2,500 staff from its retail and commercial banks working out of the 11-storey building, said it had not set a definite time for a complete return to its offices.
However, it expects larger staffing numbers to return after the summer as it adopts hybrid working.
“We continue to respond to government guidance on the reopening of offices so most of our colleagues are still working from home where they can,” Mr Stuart said. “After ensuring we are able to operate safely, we’ve reopened more of our offices, including our HQ in Birmingham, to provide critical, socially distanced, collaboration space and bookable desks to allow those colleagues who find it difficult to work from home to come in.
“This has been welcomed by many, particularly those colleagues who have faced the challenges of working from shared living space and in isolation.
“We anticipate more colleagues accessing our offices after the summer and as we adopt hybrid working.
“It’s important that a distinction is drawn between the reopening of offices as restrictions ease and the longer-term future of what our workplaces look like.
“We’re well into planning what the future of work looks like at HSBC UK, listening to customers and colleagues, about how we operate most effectively going forward. We are looking at options that work for our customers, whilst offering flexibility to our people, and maintaining team collaboration and human interaction.
We will strike a balance which for many will be hybrid working. This will look different depending on the roles and work undertaken, customers’ needs and flexibility for our colleagues.”
KPMG, which has an office in One Snowhill, said it would be using a ‘four-day fortnight’ hybrid plan, where staff will work in offices up to four days spread over a fortnight, with the rest of their days spent at home
and client sites.
Karl Edge, Birmingham office senior partner and Midlands regional chairman at KPMG UK, said: “The health and wellbeing of our colleagues remains our key priority.
“Following the current government advice, our people continue to work from home where possible, but colleagues can request to return to the office or a client site for a business or wellbeing reason.
“Our ‘four-day fortnight’ hybrid working plans were due to commence on 21 June, but this was always subject to government advice.
“We will now be looking to the UK Government guidance ahead of 19 July before commencing with that, if it’s deemed safe to do so.”
While Deutsche Bank, based at Five Brindley Place, said remote working could continue to an equivalent of 40 or 60 per cent of the working week.
A Deutsche Bank spokesperson said: “The vast majority of colleagues in the Deutsche Bank Birmingham office remain working remotely at the current time.
“Deutsche Bank has now formally confirmed its intention to move to a new hybrid way of working over the longer term.
“Under this model, most eligible employees will be offered the opportunity to work remotely up to an equivalent of 40 percent of the working week. Some roles may be able to support higher levels of remote working, for example up to 60 percent, whereas certain roles will not be eligible for remote working.
“We will take the first steps towards the hybrid model as we implement our return to the office from Step 4 of the government roadmap, when we will encourage colleagues to spend some time in the office, if comfortable to do so.”
Nathan Wallis, chief of staff at financial services firm Wesleyan, in Colmore Row, added: “It was our intention to be welcome the first phase of colleagues back to our offices from the end of June.
“But with the extension to the restrictions announced by the Prime Minister earlier in June, we’re keeping a watching brief and will bring colleagues back when it is safe to do so.
“Where roles allow it, our new ‘smart working’ approach will see colleagues enjoy greater flexibility than before Covid.
“Wesleyan remains committed to Birmingham as well as our other satellite office locations. We are therefore keen to see colleagues commuting into the city and enjoying the shops, bars and restaurants as we have done for many years.”
Ian Stuart HSBC