Our stance
We say that the FCA should move away from rigid quotas for office working that are imposed on all employees. Instead, office working requirements should be flexible and negotiated at a local level based on the objective, evidence-based needs of different business areas.
There have been many reports recently that Exco is preparing to increase the 40% requirement. We have also heard that some managers have been revoking locally agreed flexible ways of working.
The FCA has recently conducted a staff survey on this subject. It is not clear how the results of this survey will be used and whether they will be published. Unite has therefore conducted its own independent survey and is happy to disclose the results to anyone who wishes to see them.
We say that the concept of imposing an office working quota, whether 40% or otherwise, is misconceived. A uniform quota is not consistent with treating staff as responsible professional adults. Nevertheless, the status quo of 40% represents an acceptable compromise. We say that an increase in the quota would be a mistake because:
1. Commuting is expensive for many people, and compulsorily raising their time in the office reduces their income as well as their quality of life. Another pay cut would be bad news at the best of times; and this is not the best of times. The survey has also revealed that commuting puts people off from going the extra mile and working beyond their contractual hours.
2. There are wide-ranging D&I implications to a forced return to the office, most obviously in respect of disabled people and carers (who are disproportionately female). There are also, as our survey reveals, more general health concerns with increased office working going beyond people with statutory disabilities.
3. Forcing people to work where bosses can see them is contrary to a modern, progressive working culture. We are concerned that this would have a negative effect on recruitment and retention at the FCA, as well as more generally on morale, which in turn is linked to productivity and organisational effectiveness.
Our survey results
Our survey was completed by 450 people, of whom 117 were people managers (PMs) and 333 were not people managers (NPMs). The full results can be downloaded here.
