# NatWest Mandates Two-Day Weekly Office Attendance for Over 30,000 Staff

> NatWest Group will require more than 30,000 UK employees to work from the office at least two days a week starting February 2027, ending its remote-first policy and drawing strong criticism from the Unite union.

By PrimaryBrief newsroom · Published 2026-10-23T17:30:17.909697Z
Canonical: https://primarybrief.com/article/natwest-mandates-two-day-weekly-office-attendance-for-over-30-000-staff-35276650

NatWest will require over 30,000 UK staff to increase their in-office presence to at least two days a week starting February 2027, effectively ending its 2021 remote-first policy for thousands of employees [1][3][7]. This shift mandates a minimum two-day-a-week office schedule for nearly all of the bank's 40,000 UK staff [5][6].

This policy change by one of the UK's largest banking groups has sparked strong criticism from the Unite union, which argues it will impose significant financial burdens and disrupt work-life balance for thousands of workers who previously had more flexible arrangements [1][5][8]. The union claims the bank is reneging on prior agreements regarding worker consultation [1][8][13].

## What the records show
NatWest's new policy, effective February 2027, requires approximately 13,500 “remote-first” staff to increase their in-office presence from two days per month to two days per week [1][3][7]. An additional 17,000 to 17,300 hybrid workers, who previously attended the office at least three days a fortnight, will also need to spend more time in the workplace [1][3][7][8]. This brings the total number of affected employees to over 30,000 across NatWest Group brands, which include Royal Bank of Scotland, Ulster Bank, and Coutts [2][5][6]. The move abolishes the remote-first policy introduced in 2021, which allowed many staff to work remotely most of the time [4][8].

## The timeline
The new policy requiring a minimum two-day-a-week office presence will take effect in February 2027 [1][7]. This follows the bank's introduction of a three-pronged approach to post-pandemic working habits in 2021, which included hybrid, remote-first, and office-first models [4][13]. The remote-first model, which is now being abolished, had 32% of staff attending the office a minimum of two days a month [4][8].

## What changed and for whom
The change primarily impacts approximately 13,500 remote-first staff, who will transition from two days a month to two days a week in the office [1][3][7]. An additional 17,000 to 17,300 hybrid workers will also see increased in-office requirements [1][3][7]. The Unite union claims that many of the affected remote-first workers are among the bank's lowest-paid staff, including those in technology, security, data analytics, and human resources roles [5][8]. Other NatWest employees, such as traders, branch workers, and relationship managers, who already work in the office at least four days a week, are not impacted by this change [8]. Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham described the decision as “yet another kick in the teeth for workers who have suffered years of real-terms pay cuts and who are struggling to make ends meet” [1][5][11]. Caren Evans, Unite National Officer for Finance, stated that “homeworking is not a perk. It is what allows them to balance work with caring responsibilities or manage a health condition” [13][14]. The union also referenced internal NatWest data, claiming that 93% of remote-first workers reported that remote working provided sufficient flexibility for their personal and family needs [8].

## What the subject has said publicly
A NatWest Group spokesperson stated that “Flexible working remains an important part of how we work but we’ve also learned more about the value that spending time together brings for our colleagues and customers” [3][4]. The spokesperson added that the bank would provide staff with time to plan ahead and support them through the transition [4]. Sharon Graham, Unite General Secretary, urged NatWest to “ditch these proposals and engage properly with its workers,” alleging that the bank is “reneging on existing agreements” and failing to honor commitments from a 2025 pay deal [1][5].

## What we could not confirm
We could not confirm the specific details of the support NatWest will provide to staff during the transition to the new office attendance policy [4]. We could not confirm NatWest's direct response to Unite's allegations that the bank is reneged on commitments from a 2025 pay deal regarding worker consultation on attendance changes [1][8][13]. The exact number of NatWest's 40,000 UK staff who already work in the office at least four days a week was not specified [8].

## Evidence cited
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