Department store group John Lewis has told some staff they must spend more time in the office or other working locations and less time working from home, Retail Week can reveal.
John Lewis, which is in the midst of a turnaround programme, has informed members of commercial teams, such as buying and merchandising, that they should be in the office, in stores or visiting suppliers three days a week from the start of July.
At present, hybrid working arrangements mean they can work three days a week from home.
The change follows similar changes to working from home rules at several businesses, including retailers.
Some, such as Boots, have ordered staff back to the office five days a week as they have sought to put changes to working habits adopted during the pandemic behind them in the belief that having people in the same location is better for business.
John Lewis has recently recruited more people to its commercial teams. Bosses believe it is important for team members, especially when there is a significant number of new staff, to experience an environment and colleagues they can learn from.
Some John Lewis staff have reacted angrily, claiming that there is not enough space for everybody at John Lewis’ new head office – a claim rejected by the retailer.
A John Lewis spokesperson said: “Flexible working is an important part of our offer; everyone in our business can request to work flexibly and most central office partners have hybrid working arrangements in place.
“A collaborative culture is critical to help create the best product ranges and store environment for customers, and we’re taking steps to encourage team members to spend time together in our offices and stores, or meeting brands and suppliers – and balancing this with working remotely.
“We’ve also recruited around 50 new team members to help spearhead our range development and store modernisation – and their training and development, together with embedding a collaborative culture, is vital to set us up for success.”
No comments yet