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John Lewis wants its staff to return to the office "more in person than not" as it is gearing up to take on its competitors, who have already implemented return-to-office policies.
The Telegraph reported seeing an internal memo announcing these new changes, with John Lewis leadership notifying head office staff that they would be expected to have more face-to-face interactions with their colleagues in the office, as well as with suppliers and clients.
The retail giant, which runs John Lewis department stores and Waitrose supermarkets, had announced earlier this year that its employees - which it calls partners - would receive a 2% annual bonus for the year to 31 January, the first time in four years, following a major turnaround strategy at the company.
In the internal memo seen by The Telegraph, John Lewis said that many organisations had noticed improvements in collaboration, culture and business performance as a result of a hybrid model, which includes both in-person attendance and working from home.
It also outlined that teams in the office should be "spending (more) of their working week collaborating face to face with (their) team and others they work alongside." However, the retailer said that this did not mean it was changing its overall policy, and that it still believed in a hybrid working model.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, John Lewis had encouraged a more blended working environment with more staff working from home, leading it to halve the size of its London offices in 2023.
It is now reportedly looking to reverse this decision and expand its existing offices again to allow staff more space to regularly come into work.
A John Lewis spokesperson commented: "While some in our industry are returning to the office full time, our policy hasn’t changed and we are committed to the flexibility that comes with a hybrid approach.
"To drive collaboration, faster decision-making and creativity, our goal is for central teams to be in the office, with suppliers and visiting shops more than they are at home, so we are working with them to make this happen."
Earlier this month, it was reported that Jason Tarry, the boss of the John Lewis Partnership, had received a 20% pay rise over the last year despite the company reducing jobs.
Last April, Tarry's base salary was £1.2 million, with additional bonuses and benefits bringing it up to £1.26 million, matching the pay of former CEO Nish Kankiwala, who left last year following the merging of the roles of Chairman and Chief Executive.
At the same time, the JLP workforce decreased by 3,300 employees, mostly due to staff departures that were not replaced. This brought the total staffing across the group to 65,700 employees, down from 69,000 in 2024.