Barclays has instructed its employees to spend an additional day each week in the office, marking a shift in its hybrid working policy.

The bank communicated to its 85,000-strong workforce that they will be required to work from the office for one more day, translating to three days a week for most staff, up from two.

This move follows a trend among large corporations who have been gradually retracting their flexible working arrangements implemented during the Covid-19 pandemic, with both Amazon and JP Morgan insisting on daily office attendance.

Barclays' client-facing personnel, such as investment bankers, are predominantly already mandated to be in the office five days a week. A spokesperson for the bank explained the rationale behind the decision: "We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together to collaborate in our physical locations. Our minimum time in-office requirements vary between business areas depending on the nature of work and needs of the business."

The practice of remote working was widely adopted by companies during the Covid-19 lockdowns, primarily affecting office workers. According to the latest official data, 28% of the UK workforce is engaged in hybrid work, which involves splitting time between the office and home.

An Office for National Statistics survey found that people tend to rest more and exercise when they have the option to work from home some days. In response to these changing work patterns, the Labour Government is amending the law to allow people greater flexibility in their work arrangements.

The forthcoming Employment Rights Bill is poised to make hybrid working a default option for all, unless employers can demonstrate its impracticality. Earlier on Thursday, TV mogul Lord expressed his belief that many young people "just want to sit at home" and urged them to return to the office.

The owner of a substantial collection of London office properties, Lord Sugar told the : "They’ve got to get their bums back into the office."

Advertising behemoth WPP has also instructed its 100,000 employees to be in the office for a minimum of four days per week. Other firms such as PwC, Santander and have similarly tightened their remote work policies in recent times.