Ireland: Backlash over return to office mandate

The key points: Allied Irish Bank (AIB) says it wants staff in the office at least three days a week. The hybrid work policy change is set to roll out gradually, reaching full implementation by 1 January 2026. Some months back another Irish bank, Bank of Ireland, announced that, from September, staff eligible for hybrid working will need to be in the office at least eight days each month (two days per week). 

Why this matters: The Financial Services Union (FSU) has reacted angrily calling AIB’s new hybrid working policy regressive, shortsighted, and unjustified. The FSU’s General Secretary asserts that there is no clear reason for this change and urged the bank to reconsider, taking staff opinions properly into account. An AIB spokesperson stated that the bank is committed to balanced hybrid working and continues to review policies to ensure they meet the needs of staff, customers, and the wider business.

What might happen next: This newsletter has long supported remote and hybrid working. However, we have to ask ourselves if some forms of working from home have evolved into staff rarely ever coming into the office.