“How can we move towards a 2019 model in 2025?”: WPP employees oppose in-person return to the office

Jane Anderson
Jane Anderson
Trabajadores reunidos en una oficina

The advertising group WPP has established that, starting next April, the company’s employees must work four days a week from the office. The measure, which affects more than 110,000 professionals globally, represents a commitment to presence after almost five years of teleworking and hybrid work as a result of the pandemic.

However, the new corporate policy has not been well received among WPP teams, despite the fact that its CEO, Mark Read, wanted to highlight the advantages of returning almost completely to the workplace. According to campaignthe manager has assured in an email to the staff that presence in the office is associated with greater employee commitment, better evaluations by clients and better financial performance.

Read has reaffirmed its commitment to flexibility towards employees

However, Read is committed to maintaining the spirit of flexibility and trust acquired during all this time and to facilitate the day-to-day life of workers taking into account their personal circumstances. Still, the new policy means employees will be required to work from the office at least two Fridays a month, with flexibility to choose which other days they will work remotely.

But a part of the staff considers that the decision is a step back in company support for employees and the promotion of their well-being and conciliation. So much so that a group of workers, under the name “Concerned WPP Employees”, have launched a request through the Change.org platform to demand the revocation of the measure. At the time of publishing this news it has 13,492 signatures.

They ask Read to consider their needs and they criticize that the manager’s arguments are not supported by real data. “We call on Mark Read and WPP’s decision-making body to reconsider this mandate and adopt a policy that respects and prioritizes the well-being and preferences of its employees.the professionals point out in the petition. “It’s time to move towards a future of work that is flexible, conscious, inclusive and evidence-based”.

Costs, well-being, inclusion and progress

A company employee in Australia has expanded the argument against the policy in a letter that the specialized media has collected. AdNewsrespecting the professional’s choice of anonymity. In the text he wanted to highlight some of the global, economic and personal factors that position work and flexibility as a more favorable option compared to being present in the office.

The first one he cites is current challenge of access to housing and accommodation. It points out that in Australia rental prices have increased an average of 9.3% per year since 2020, that inflation remains high and that house prices have skyrocketed, with average increases of 8.4% per year.
Many employees now face a difficult trade-off between affordable housing and proximity to the office. Its requirement that employees live within a “reasonable distance” is increasingly unsustainable for those who cannot afford housing near our offices“says the worker.

It also refers to cost of travel, in part as a result, precisely, of the shortage of affordable housing near offices. “For some, these hours of travel encroach on what was once personal time, time that is essential to maintaining a healthy work-life balance.”, he expresses.

The family care responsibilities It is the third factor cited by this Australian worker. He assures that in his country daycare costs can reach $200 a day and have long waiting lists, which increases financial pressure and stress on families.

On the other hand, the text points out the impact that the return to the office can have on the employees with disabilities or neurodivergence. It states that remote work provides a greater level of control and security, and less anxiety to these workers, given the impact that issues such as intense lighting, noise, structure or social pressure in the office can have on their well-being.

Linked to this, the employee points out the benefit of teleworking on well-being.Activities such as exercising, cooking, spending time with family or simply relaxing have become an integral part of daily life. For some, including me, this change has had a profound positive impact on their mental health“he comments.”The loss of this precious time recovered under a four-day mandate in the office is discouraging, to say the least.”.

For all these reasons, he asks Mark Read to reconsider the policy and invites him to analyze the opportunity that WPP has to lead by betting on flexibility, empathy and inclusion. He points out that workers should not be forced to adopt a more rigid model that does not consider the realities of the post-pandemic world and the personal circumstances of professionals.

How can we be taking steps back towards a 2019 model in 2025?”, he reflects. “While this letter cannot capture all unique perspectives, it reflects the collective sentiment of a workforce facing unprecedented challenges. Mark, please reconsider the four-day mandate and instead work towards a model that empowers all employees to thrive, one that accommodates diversity in experience, circumstances and needs, while allowing WPP to continue progressing as a leader of the industry”.