Work in the office or seek ‘alternative employment’, Man Utd owner tells staff
MANCHESTER United’s new co- owner has told the club’s 1,000 employees to seek ‘alternative employment’ if they’re not prepared to work in the office.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is seeking to restore the club’s sporting reputation after buying a £1.25 billion stake, said having all staff on site would result in greater productivity.
The billionaire said email traffic fell by a fifth when staff at one of his companies were allowed to spend Fridays at home.
Sir Jim’s move comes after major multinationals including Google, Meta, Apple and Amazon have all been cracking down on ‘hybrid working’ practices which
‘Work in close proximity’
became widespread during the Covid pandemic.
Just last week, staff at the headquarters of J D Sports in Bury said they had been told ‘working from home would be cancelled’ from the summer.
The sportswear giant responded that ‘having more colleagues in the office will help to further enhance personal development, collaboration, teamwork and provide more opportunities for learning’.
Confirming Sir Jim’s warning, Manchester United chiefs yesterday told all employees who had hybrid working arrangements ‘to return to the office permanently’.
In a mass email to staff, they said ‘connection and collaboration’ had been identified as key targets of the ‘new era’. It added: ‘We believe this connection and collaboration is best achieved when everyone works together in close proximity. Although hybrid working has some benefits, it cannot replace the value of people being physically together.’
It comes after Sir Jim berated the untidiness of some offices and changing rooms after a tour of the club’s Old Trafford stadium and Carrington training ground, branding their state ‘a disgrace’.
Workers at the club – which has a vast commercial payroll in addition to the sporting side of the business – are understood to have pointed out there is insufficient office space to accommodate everybody. In addition, many employees are said to be on flexible contracts which allow them to work on a hybrid basis.