According to the Chief Executive Officer of Credit Suisse, Thomas Gottstein, banks will never have their employees return to the office full time. “It’s unrealistic, and it is not what employees want,” Gottstein said on Monday, May 23rd, at the World Economic Forum in Davos. “We are in a soft way trying to encourage people to come back, but it’s counterproductive if you push too hard.”
“We will never go back to the old 80% to 90% of the people in the office,” He added. Gottstein said that only 37% of his company’s workforce is back in the office full time. He also acknowledged that there wasn’t much his company could do to force hesitant employees to return five days a week to the office. “I think in certain cities like London — where commuting is painful — that is why people prefer to work from home one or two days, so they don’t have to commute,” he said.
Gottstein added, “We are in a soft way trying to encourage people to come back, but it’s counterproductive if you push too hard.” His comments add to an increasing chorus in Europe supporting flexible work policies as lenders seek to attract and retain talent.
