More than three quarters of RBS staff set to work from home until at least September
More than 50,000 of RBS’ staff will continue to work from home until at least the end of September.
The decision to keep more than three quarters of the bank’s workforce at home for the next four months was revealed in an internal memo, first reported by the Guardian. It will then be reviewed again in September.
Since lockdown was implemented, around 10,000 RBS employees have continued to work in some offices and bank branches. The bank said that around 400 employees whose jobs include handling sensitive data have been asked to return to offices and call centres next month.
These roles are for those who can’t continue to work from home for a prolonged period, and come from across all parts of the business.
RBS said it would ensure strict social distancing and safety measures were put in place to protect those heading back to the office. These include limits of two people per lift, thermal imaging and temperature checks at building entrances.
Hot desking has been temporarily banned, as per the government workplace guidance, and there will be at least one empty desk in between employees to ensure social distancing. For areas where distancing is not viable, screens have been put up.
Chief executive Alison Rose has previously said there is no rush to bring staff back since there had been no interruption to business. The bank today announced it would distribute additional equipment to those working from home, including office chairs and screens.
Today Rose said: ““As a Group, maintaining the health and wellbeing of all colleagues is our number one priority. To help us to plan, we are now thinking about the most effective way to operate in the medium term, putting in place carefully considered measures for running the bank.”
““While some roles do need to be performed from our branches and offices, the significant majority of our colleagues will continue to work from home until at least the end of September,” she added.