The Financial Services Union (FSU) said it plans to ballot its members at AIB on the bank’s plans to require staff eligible for hybrid working to return to its branches and offices three days a week from January.
“We have now reached a juncture in these negotiations where we feel a ballot of our members is necessary,” FSU said in a statement on Tuesday, after the bank communicated some clarification on its plans to employees.
“If the ballot is rejected, the FSU will refer the matter to the [Work Relations Commission].”
AIB said on Tuesday it has “listened to feedback” on its controversial plans, saying it will allow workers to use one of its 47 local working hubs for one of their weekly on-site attendance days.
READ MORE
The ability of individuals to do this will be “subject to availability and agreement”, the bank said in a statement. AIB had almost 10,400 employees at the end of June.
The bank, which set out plans in July to impose the tightest hybrid working rules among Irish retail bank in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, said that it has also secured additional space in the Central Park office park in Leopardstown, Dublin 18, where it already has a significant operating base.
Some teams will be relocating to this location, it said. This is expected to include risk, legal, retail and enterprise delivery functions.
“We will not increase office attendance requirements further as long as the new arrangements are effective,” it said.
AIB commenced a hybrid working model in early 2022, where the number of office days depend on the role. The group, led by chief executive Colin Hunt, currently expects employees to be in the office for at least two days a week, though some, such as branch staff, have had to be in the workplace five days a week.
The move to increase office attendance drew sharp criticism from the FSU from the outset. It described the plan as “regressive and without justification” in July. It also led to some employees expressing frustration and disappointment on an internal forum.
“We have listened to feedback from our people and taken on board constructive suggestions from the Financial Services Union,” the statement said.
“AIB believes all employees benefit from in person time with their own team and broader colleagues. This enables greater collaboration, connection and innovation that supports our customers, communities and the economy in achieving future success. We also recognise the benefits of structured hybrid working and are committed to enabling it.”
Meanwhile, Bank of Ireland has required employees to attend their official workplace in person eight days each month from the start of this month. The FSU lifted a demand that its members in the bank not adhere to the policy on September 4th, pending the outcome of mediation through the WRC.
Bloomberg reported last month that seven of Europe’s 15 most valuable banks have asked some or all of their staff to spend four or more days in the office a week, with an average of 3.4 days a week as their strictest demand for some or all of their staff. It was 4.2 for US banks.
