ROYAL Bank of Scotland has said the vast majority of its employees will be able to work from home until next year.
The Edinburgh-based group said it expected more than 50,000 employees in its operations around the world to work from home into 2021 as it looks to safeguard the wellbeing of customers and staff amid the coronavirus.
The taxpayer-owned group had previously extended the home working arrangement until the end of September, from May.
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RBS said that since the coronavirus lockdown started in March around 10,000 staff members had continued to work in branches and some offices to ensure it could continue to support customers.
Around 95% of the group’s branches have remained open but at reduced hours. All 89 branches in Scotland are operating.
RBS announced the latest extension to the home working option after Boris Johnson said on Friday he hoped for a “significant return to normality” by Christmas.
Mr Johnson said then that the UK Government’s guidance on going to work would be updated from August 1. Instead of telling people to work from home, the Government would give employers more discretion, and ask them to make decisions about how their staff can work safely.
A spokesperson for RBS group said the decision to extend homeworking had been made carefully, after considering the latest guidance from the UK Government and its own health and safety standards and procedures.
The spokesperson added: “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 colleagues can work from home and we feel it’s the right decision to continue doing so into 2021.”
Under the Scottish Government’s route map out of the coronavirus crisis remote and flexible working will remain encouraged in the next phase of the lockdown easing process.
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RBS said around 400 staff whose jobs cannot be done from home for operational reasons were asked to return to work in the bank’s offices and call centres in June.
Social distancing and safety measures are in place in offices, including a temporary ban on hot desking and a two-person limit in lifts.
RBS has round 10,000 employees in Scotland.
It will change its name to Natwest Group tomorrow.
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