Barclays has tightened its hybrid work policies and is requiring most of its 85,000 employees to spend more time in the office. This puts the British bank on a growing list of companies reevaluating their remote work arrangements after the Covid-19 pandemic.

According to an internal communication sent to employees on Tuesday, employees will be required to work in the office at least three days a week in the future, an increase from the previous rule of two days, as reported by people familiar with the matter. In some company areas, even higher presence is expected.

For most customer-oriented areas, including investment banking, a five-day presence has already been required. "We recognize the benefits of flexible working, but at the same time emphasize the importance of personal collaboration in our offices," a Barclays spokesperson explained.

By adjusting, Barclays follows the example of JPMorgan, which announced earlier this year that its employees must be present in the office again five days a week starting in March.

While European banks have been more flexible with hybrid work models so far, they are increasingly tightening their requirements. Wall Street CEOs have been particularly critical of remote work: Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon called it a "deviation," while JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon emphasized his skepticism towards mobile work.

The British Lloyds Banking Group is also linking its executives' bonuses to their office presence to set an example for younger employees. Additionally, companies like WPP, PwC, Santander, and Asda have tightened their home office rules. WPP recently asked its more than 100,000 employees to work in the office at least four days a week in the future.