John Lewis wants staff back in the office

John Lewis is requesting some of its head office staff spend at least three days a week in the office, or out on the road, as the shift away from working from home continues. 

The department store giant said members of its commercial teams – which include buyers and merchandisers – should work no more than two days a week from home from July, down from three days a week currently, the Guardian newspaper reported.

The change at the employee-owned group comes amid a broader shift among businesses, including health & beauty retail giant Boots where staff are now asked to fulfil a five-day-week pattern.

John Lewis’ parent group also owns Waitrose supermarkets but the change in working practice applies only to those working for its department store’s commercial teams, the report said.

John Lewis said the changes for its commercial team were partly to enable training and development after it recruited 50 new members of staff and to aid collaboration as it worked on a turnaround plan to increase profits.

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 our customers and we’re taking steps to encourage team members to spend time together in our offices, our stores, meeting brands and suppliers and balancing this with working remotely.”