WPP employees push back on return to office mandate

WPP employees have pushed back on the agency's four-day office return mandate. The employees, under the user 'Concerned WPP employees', have created a petition demanding the agency revoke its mandate. The petition seeks a goal of 7,500 signatures. It is currently at 6,456 signatures at the point of writing. 

In the petition, the employees said that "the world-renowned advertising company has recently implemented a policy of making employees return to the office for at least four days a week. This mandate comes from CEO Mark Read and impacts all 114,000 staff under the WPP umbrella." 

"In a post-COVID world where many businesses have embraced flexible working styles, WPP's decision seems to be a step backwards in supporting employee wellbeing and work-life balance, citing anecdotal data that either does not exist or has been misrepresented. The mental and social effects on employees due to such rigid work regimes can be extensive," it added.

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Therefore, the employees have called on Read and the decision-making body at WPP to reconsider the mandate and adopt a policy that "respects and prioritises the well-being and preferences of its employees."

"It's time to move towards a future of work that's flexible, mindful, inclusive, and evidence-based. Please sign this petition to support our cause," said the employees in a statement. 

In the same petition, employees listed links and resources to why a return-to-office mandate poses risks to productivity, engagement and talent.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to WPP for a statement. 

According to Business Insider, in an internal memo to employees, WPP CEO Read said that working in person makes it easier to learn from each other and win pitches as a truly integrated team, and that the mandate will begin at the beginning of April this year. 

Read explained that the spirit of flexibility will be kept and asks that employees trust that the transition is being approached with pragmatism and an understanding of people's different circumstances. This includes additional flexibility for those with caring responsibilities, health issues and other considerations. 

In addition, roles that have always been fully or largely remote will continue as they are, Read reportedly said in his statement. 

The petition has received signatures from self-identified WPP employees across the world, many of whom have stated their thoughts and comments on the matter. An employee by name of Alexander Gillburg, based in the United Kingdom, said "It’s always those in ivory towers claiming that working in the office is 'best' for 'employee morale,' while completely disregarding the fact that people work best in environments suited to their individual needs. Let’s not pretend this is about morale when it’s actually about appeasing shareholders." 

Meanwhile, an employee in Italy by the name of Filomena Iafullo said the policy is a "step backward and doesn't recognise how much employees achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic". 

"In my view, the right approach would be to trust employees to decide when its necessary and beneficial to come into the office. We're professionals and can make those calls ourselves," added Iafullo in a post seen by MARKETING-INTERACTIVE.

An anonymous petitioner by the name 'SVP NY' based in New York left a comment quoting Spotify's chief HR officer Katarina Berg who was quoted saying ""Our employees aren't children. Spotify will continue working remotely," in an October 2024 interview with Raconteur. 

WPP is not the only company to mandate return to office. JPMorgan Chase has reportedly asked its employees who are on hybrid work schedules to return to office five days a week, starting in March, while tech giants such as Amazon and AT&T announced at the end of 2024 that they would bring their employees back into the office this year, reported Business Insider. 

Closer to home, Grab employees were required to work five days a week in office starting December last year. The rationale was to facilitate more collaboration and interactions in the office. It is also to accelerate progress and enhance integration across its ecosystem and business units, said Grab CEO Anthony Tan in an email to employees, reported CNA. 

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