Hybrid work | EY staff to WFH twice a week post-pandemic

Multinational professional services firm EY (formerly Ernst & Young) this week told UK workers via a video conference call that 17,000 staff members that they will be expected to work remotely at least two days per week in its revised post-COVID structure.

The new hybrid working model, which is the latest in a rash of similar announcements by major companies with an office-based physical footprint, was designed to take into account a more integrated working pattern, which also includes client visits.

Speaking on the revised structure, Hywel Ball, EY’s UK Chair, told The Guardian: “The experience of the pandemic has brought new perspectives to our people and our clients on how they manage their working lives.”

However, he did add that the move does not indicate a progression away from the use of physical office space, rather a revision of its usage. “There will always be a need for EY to have office space across the UK, but how we use our offices in the future will change with a greater emphasis on collaboration rather than as a place for individual working,” he said.