Ikea and Ocado have joined a growing list of retailers ordering their staff to reduce home working, Retail Week can reveal.
The retailers have joined the likes of Primark and John Lewis in requesting their head office staff cut back on the number of days they spend working from home this year.
Ikea told has told head office staff that it was updating its hybrid working policy from eight days a month in the office by an additional four days from September, excluding a four-week period during the summer holidays.
The new policy would see staff spend a minimum of twelve days either in the office, with agency partners or in stores per month in a bid to strengthen staff culture and creativity.
An Ikea UK&I spokesperson said: “From September, we’ll update our hybrid working policy to reflect the value we place on in-person collaboration. We’ll move from eight days a month in our head office to include an additional four days, which can be from another IKEA location.”
“Togetherness has always been at the heart of who we are and how we work. This shift supports our belief that shared spaces strengthen our culture, spark creativity, and empower us to thrive together – while preserving the flexibility our coworkers value.”
Ocado has also cut down the number of days that head office staff are allowed to work from home each week.
The pureplay grocery retailer has told staff at its headquarters that they are encouraged to come into the office to work at least three days a week, Retail Week can confirm.
Previously, Ocado had only required staff to work from the office one day a week, as part of its flexible working policy.
Other retailers, such as Boots and Morrisons, have ordered some staff back to the office as much as five days a week as they seek to put changes to working habits adopted during the pandemic behind them in the belief that having people in one location is better for business.
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