Scottish bank Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) is extending its remote working policy until 2021 for 50,000 employees.
The extension has been put in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the large proportion of its employees who are currently home-based. The organisation is also ensuring all of its staff can work comfortably by supplying office chairs, desks and screens to any employees that request help with their office set-up.
Since March 2020, 10,000 employees have continued to work in branches at reduced hours, while 400 employees have worked in offices where they were unable to work from home. During this time, the bank has also introduced mental health and wellbeing support in place for employees to help those who have been the most affected by the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic.
A spokesperson at RBS said: “Our priority during the Coronavirus pandemic has been to look after the safety and wellbeing of our customers and colleagues.
“In May [2020] we shared that the vast majority of employees working from home would continue to do so until at least the end of September. Today we’re confirming that this will remain the case into 2021.
“Like we’ve done throughout the pandemic the decision has been made carefully, including considering the latest guidance from the government on Friday and our own health and safety standards and procedures. It’s a cautious approach but we feel the right one to take currently.
“The situation and local government advice will continue to evolve and there will be differences across our jurisdictions. We’re in a fortunate position that so many of our staff can work from home and we feel it’s the right decision to continue doing so into 2021.”