UBS CEO Ralph Hamers reportedly has told the bank’s 25,000 employees the company is going to remain flexible regarding returning to the office for work.
“The pandemic has delivered solutions to manage the risk of carrying the virus and passing it to your colleagues, and that is to work from home,” Hamers said last week at the Swiss Economic Forum in Interlaken.
Switzerland’s largest bank previously said it would allow most employees to permanently work from home at least some of the time, even as it holds off on setting a date for a return to the office.
In a memo to employees sent in June, UBS announced roughly two-thirds of employees will be allowed to adopt a hybrid work model that will let them work from home or the office depending on their preference.
“We are committed to offering our employees the flexibility for hybrid working where role, tasks, and location allow,” the bank said in a note to employees. “It is our aspiration to meet the requirements of our employees for a flexible and future-oriented working environment.”
The note also said the hybrid model will be implemented country by country. Once it’s safe to return to the office in countries like Australia and the United States, most employees will begin to adopt the hybrid schedule.
UBS said roughly two-thirds of its employees will be allowed to adopt the new hybrid work model.
Whether an employee is fully remote will depend on their role and the discretion of the individual’s manager.
Certain roles, like branch staff and traders, will be required to return to the office full-time.
UBS also has unveiled new training for managers to better incorporate employees who choose to work from home on their teams.
