---
title: "Unite Condemns NatWest Plan Moving Up to 13,497…"
canonical: "https://www.metaintro.com/blog/natwest-30000-staff-more-office-days-union-pushback"
language: "en"
author: "drashtigarach"
published: "2026-10-21T08:53:10.000Z"
modified: "2026-10-21T08:53:10.000Z"
---

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# Unite Condemns NatWest Plan Moving Up to 13,497 Remote-First Workers to Two Office Days a Week

Unite condemns NatWest's plan to move up to 13,497 remote-first UK staff to two office days a week from February 2027. See what changes and your rights.

[![Drashti Garach](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:40:40/q:72/plain/images/5719d740-e510-42bc-8017-e040d145f35f_1766029465094.png)Drashti Garach @DrashtiGarach](/blog/author/drashtigarach)

[October 21, 2026](/blog/archive/2026/10)14 min read

![The revolving door entrance and turnstiles of a bank headquarters lobby](https://cdn.metaintro.com/rs:fill:1200:675/q:78/plain/images/natwest-30000-staff-more-office-days-union-pushback-hero.jpg)

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[NatWest is abolishing its remote-first category](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), a change that affects [up to 13,497 workers who currently attend the office only around two days per month](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), while [a further 17,272 hybrid workers](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/) will also be required to spend more time in the workplace. Colleagues will be [expected to spend at least two days a week in the office, depending on the needs of their role and business area](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/), and the new schedule starts in [February 2027](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy). [Unite the Union](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) has condemned the plan and wants the bank to pause it. For [Metaintro](https://www.metaintro.com) readers who work in UK banking or are weighing a job offer from a big lender, this guide covers who is affected, what the old rules were, why the union objects, and what the law lets you ask for if two office days a week does not fit your life.

## What Exactly Is NatWest Changing, and When?

The core change is the end of one working pattern. NatWest is [abolishing its remote-first category](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). Staff in that category will move from [two days a month to two days a week](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy) in the office.

The new schedule applies [from February 2027](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy). Unite published its response on [Tuesday 20 October 2026](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

The wording from the bank is worth reading closely. A NatWest Group spokesman described [a more consistent approach across the bank, with colleagues expected to spend at least two days a week in the office, depending on the needs of their role and business area](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/).

NatWest Group serves customers under the [Royal Bank of Scotland, NatWest, Ulster Bank and Coutts brands](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy), and the rule covers [all of its nearly 40,000 UK staff](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy).

## Who Is Covered by the New Two-Day Rule?

Two groups of staff are affected, and they face different jumps. The biggest change lands on the remote-first group, which covers [up to 13,497 workers](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). The second group is the [17,272 hybrid workers](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) who will also be required to spend more time in the workplace. Together that is [more than 30,000 workers](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

The hybrid group already has a higher minimum. Nearly 17,300 hybrid staff are [required to attend the office at least three days a fortnight](https://www.cityam.com/natwest-facing-backlash-from-union-after-ordering-staff-into-office-twice-a-week/), against two days a month for remote-first staff.

The kind of work matters too. Unite counts [some of NatWest's lowest-paid workers, including staff involved in technology, security, data analytics and human resources](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy), among the remote-first group, and its figures put [the majority of affected remote-first workers in lower-paid grades](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

Some staff already go in more often than the new minimum. Traders, branch workers and relationship managers are [already required to be in the office four days a week](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy).

## How Did NatWest's Three-Tier Model Work Before This?

The remote-first tier being scrapped is part of a [three tier plan introduced in 2021](https://www.hrkatha.com/news/natwest-increases-office-attendance-requirements-for-30000-employees/), which let some staff work fully on site, others adopt hybrid schedules, and a group operate on a remote-first basis.

The [Ulster Bank/NatWest Ways of Working framework](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725) had three categories, each with a minimum standard, in the [Ulster Bank update dated 20 June 2025](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725).

- Office first, a [minimum of 4 days a week](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725)
- Hybrid, a [minimum of 1.5 days a week](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725)
- Remote first, a [minimum of 2 days a month](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725)

Those rules were not always followed. After a review, Ulster Bank staff faced [a requirement to adhere to attendance in the office set out in each category](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725) because [not everyone has been adhering to the Ways of Working model](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725). Under the [same Ulster Bank update](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725), Grades D & E roles that were remote first were to change to hybrid from September.

The new policy scraps [the remote-first policy from February 2027](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy) altogether.

## Why Is Unite Opposing the Plan?

The union's case rests on three points, which are cost, care and process. On cost, Unite warns the move will [pile additional financial pressure on staff already struggling with rising living costs](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). On care, the union warns the change undermines [arrangements relied upon by carers and disabled workers](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

> This is 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, Unite General Secretary Sharon Graham said, according to [the Unite press release](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

The third point is process. Unite accuses NatWest of failing to honour commitments in [the 2025 pay deal](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), which included [a jointly negotiated blueprint setting out how future changes to office attendance would be consulted on with workers and their union](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). Unite's complaint is that the bank [presented a finalised plan without meaningful engagement](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

The union also points to NatWest's own staff data, in which [remote-first workers report the highest levels of satisfaction with their working arrangements, with 93 per cent stating that remote working provides sufficient flexibility to meet their personal and family needs](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

What Unite wants is specific. It is calling on NatWest to [pause implementation of the proposals and return to the blueprint process agreed as part of the 2025 pay settlement](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). It has launched [a major survey of its NatWest membership](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) and plans [a series of online and workplace meetings in the coming weeks](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) so members can help decide the next steps of the campaign. Unite represents workers across NatWest Group, including [retail banking, customer support, digital and technology services](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), and across the economy it represents [over 1 million workers across private, public, and voluntary sectors](https://www.cityam.com/natwest-facing-backlash-from-union-after-ordering-staff-into-office-twice-a-week/).

## What Is NatWest Saying in Its Own Defence?

The bank frames the change as a lesson learned. A NatWest spokesperson said "[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](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy)", describing the benefits as [helping teams collaborate, share ideas, build relationships and learn from one another](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy).

The bank also stresses timing and support. A NatWest spokesman stressed that, for affected colleagues, the bank is [giving them time to plan ahead and will support them through the transition](https://www.cityam.com/natwest-facing-backlash-from-union-after-ordering-staff-into-office-twice-a-week/). NatWest points out that [a number of its business areas already work in this way](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/), and its spokesman argued that "[our approach is still very competitive when compared to the wider industry](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/)".

## What Does This Mean for Ulster Bank Staff in Northern Ireland?

The change crosses the Irish Sea. NatWest, which owns Ulster Bank, has [around 900 staff in Northern Ireland](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/), and [hundreds of workers in Northern Ireland are set to be impacted](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/) by the decision.

A second union is involved there. Gareth Murphy, head of industrial relations and campaigns with the [Financial Services Union](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/), said "[We are obviously disappointed by the proposals and are gathering feedback from our members](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/)". He also linked the issue to pay, saying the union is [heading into pay talks shortly in the context of a very strong set of half-year results](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/).

One legal point matters for staff there. [Flexible working rules are different in Northern Ireland](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), so the Great Britain process described below does not apply to Ulster Bank staff in Northern Ireland.

## How Does This Compare With Barclays and Other Banks?

NatWest is not acting alone. Banks ranging from [JP Morgan to Revolut have clamped down on remote working after the Covid pandemic](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash), arguing it harms the training of younger staff.

At Barclays, [some staff were allowed to delay the new rule until 2027 after a backlash](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash). In the summer, Barclays set a [three days a week requirement for its 45,000 UK staff](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash), with more senior staff expected in for at least four days. After [thousands of bank staff signed an open letter drafted by the Unite union](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash), Barclays agreed that it [will allow staff to delay complying with the order until 2027](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash), as long as they asked for and received permission from their line manager.

At Barclays, the union's requests included these concessions.

- [Capping in-office requirements at one day a week for any carers or people with disabilities](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash)
- [Flexible start and finish times to allow for cheaper off-peak travel costs and to accommodate school pickup and drop-offs](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash)
- An exemption for staff whose [commutes were longer than 40 minutes or 35 miles](https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/barclays-latest-return-to-office-mandate-sparks-staff-backlash/)
- A [one-off payment to offset increased travelling costs payable by March 2027](https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/barclays-latest-return-to-office-mandate-sparks-staff-backlash/)

In a Unite survey at Barclays, [94% of respondents](https://www.personneltoday.com/hr/barclays-latest-return-to-office-mandate-sparks-staff-backlash/) said they wanted the changes delayed until consultations with the union had concluded. Barclays staff drew [a commute line over office days](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/barclays-return-to-office-pushback), and at NatWest the union has again launched [a member survey and called for a pause](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

## Can NatWest Staff Ask to Keep Working From Home?

Yes, staff in Great Britain can ask, and the law sets out how. [All employees have the legal right to request flexible working](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), including a change to where they work, and they can do so [from their first day in a job](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print). Hybrid working and working from home are both listed as [types of flexible working](https://www.acas.org.uk/making-a-flexible-working-request).

The request should be made by email or letter and must include [the date of the request](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), a statement that it is a statutory request for flexible working, details of how you want to work and when you want to start, and whether and when you made a previous application. Employees can make [2 applications for flexible working in any 12-month period](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), so it is worth getting the first one right.

The employer has to act within a set time. It must make a decision [within 2 months of the request](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), or longer if you agree, and it must [discuss the employee’s request with them before refusing their application](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print). If you are invited to a meeting about your request, under the [Acas Code of Practice](https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-flexible-working-requests/html) the employer should allow you to be [accompanied by a fellow worker, a trade union representative, or an official employed by a trade union](https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-flexible-working-requests/html) where the request is reasonable.

A refusal is still possible. An employer can turn a request down for [business reasons set out on GOV.UK](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), including extra costs that will damage the business, an inability to reorganise work among other staff, or effects on quality or performance. You cannot go to a tribunal simply because a request was refused, but you can complain if the employer [did not handle the request in a reasonable manner](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print) or refused it based on incorrect facts. That complaint should usually be made [within 6 months](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print) of hearing the decision, or of the date the employer should have responded.

More rules are coming. Under plans published in September, the government intends to set out [a process that employers must follow before rejecting a statutory flexible working request](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aa94e08086ce7c57b8184cb/flexible-working-consultation-response.pdf) and to bring a new reasonableness test into force, with both changes [intended to take effect in autumn 2027](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6aa94e08086ce7c57b8184cb/flexible-working-consultation-response.pdf). That is after NatWest's February start date. Employers will have to [meet you before refusing flexible work](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/uk-flexible-working-face-to-face) once that process is in force.

## What Protections Exist for Carers and Disabled Workers?

[Unite National Officer for Finance Caren Evans](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) warned about people for whom home working is not a preference.

> For many workers, homeworking is not a perk. It is what allows them to balance work with caring responsibilities or manage a health condition, Unite National Officer for Finance Caren Evans said, according to [the Unite statement](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers).

Disabled workers can also rely on [the duty to make reasonable adjustments](https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers). Employers must make [reasonable adjustments to make sure workers with disabilities, or physical or mental health conditions, are not substantially disadvantaged when doing their jobs](https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers). The government's examples include [letting a disabled person work somewhere else, such as on the ground floor for a wheelchair user](https://www.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments-for-disabled-workers), and allowing employees who become disabled a phased return with flexible hours.

The [same Ulster Bank update](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725) linked in the three-tier section above, which predates the new plan, set out a route for this. Under it, staff with [a medical condition or disability that makes coming into the office challenging](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725) could ask their line manager to consider an exception to the minimum standards, and an [existing flexible working arrangement, reasonable adjustment or ROI remote working arrangement](https://www.fsunion.org/latest/news/ways-of-working-update-ub-ni-roi-ub-0725) was to remain in place.

## What This Means for Bank Workers and Job Seekers, and What Should You Do Next?

Taken together, the two disputes show two of the UK's big lenders asking for more office time. Barclays moved its UK staff toward [at least three days a week](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/sep/29/barclays-softens-return-to-office-plans-for-uk-staff-after-backlash), and NatWest is now ending a category that let thousands of people come in [only around two days per month](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers). For job seekers, it is worth asking how many office days a banking role expects and whether that number has changed in the past year.

For current NatWest staff, the window before February is the useful part. Here is how to use it.

- **Check your category.** Find out whether you are in the [remote-first group or the hybrid group](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), because the size of the change depends on it.
- **Put any existing arrangement in writing.** If you already have a formal flexible working agreement or a reasonable adjustment, ask your manager to confirm in writing whether it continues.
- **Make a statutory request if you need one.** Follow the [GOV.UK steps for a written application](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), include the date, say it is a statutory request, set out how and when you want to work flexibly, and say whether you have applied before.
- **Bring a companion to the meeting.** The [Acas Code of Practice](https://www.acas.org.uk/acas-code-of-practice-on-flexible-working-requests/html) lets you ask to bring a colleague or union representative.
- **Talk to your union.** Unite has launched [a survey and will hold a series of meetings](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), and in Northern Ireland the [Financial Services Union is gathering feedback](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/) from members.
- **Cost out the commute.** Unite's warning about [higher travel and childcare costs](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers) is the practical question, so work out your own weekly cost before any meeting with your manager.

If two office days a week will not work for you, the months before February are also a sensible time to look at roles elsewhere that are clear about their attendance rules from the start.

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- [Forcing Workers Back to the Office Is Lazy Leadership, What Builds Top Teams Instead](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/rto-mandates-lazy-leadership-what-builds-top-teams)
- [Return-to-Office Workers Are Desperate for Quiet in Noisy Open Offices](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/return-to-office-workers-desperate-quiet-noisy-open-offices)
- [Remote Work Is Driving a Silent Mental Health Crisis That Return to Office Cannot Fix](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/remote-work-silent-mental-health-crisis-rto-cannot-fix-2026)
- [When Remote Work Is Not a Reasonable Accommodation Under the Law](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/remote-work-not-reasonable-accommodation-law)
- [Remote Jobs for Stay-at-Home Moms That Fit Real Family Schedules](https://www.metaintro.com/blog/remote-jobs-for-stay-at-home-moms)

## People Also Asked

### Q: How many days a week will NatWest staff have to be in the office?

A: Colleagues will be expected to spend [at least two days a week in the office, depending on the needs of their role and business area](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/), from [February 2027](https://www.theguardian.com/business/2026/oct/20/natwest-staff-back-two-days-a-week-policy).

### Q: Which union is opposing NatWest's office plan?

A: Unite has condemned the plan and is calling on NatWest to [pause implementation of the proposals and return to the blueprint process agreed as part of the 2025 pay settlement](https://www.unitetheunion.org/news-events/news/2026/october/natwests-office-attendance-diktat-shows-contempt-for-workers), and the [Financial Services Union is gathering feedback](https://www.irishnews.com/news/business/ulster-bank-owners-to-end-remote-working-from-next-february-LVD4J2KXPJG77BPJXIBGGQZGVE/) from its members.

### Q: Can my employer refuse a request to work from home?

A: Yes, an employer can refuse for one of [the listed business reasons](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print), but it must discuss the request with you first and decide [within 2 months](https://www.gov.uk/flexible-working/print) unless you agree to a longer period.

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