EY commits to hybrid working

EY has announced that it is set to switch to a hybrid working model in the UK, with staff members spending at least two days a week working remotely.

The Big Four firm currently advises its employees to work from home where possible due to government guidance, but will begin the transition once social distancing measures are lifted.

Revealed to EY’s people in an internal webcast, the decision follows a series of focus groups, surveys, and pilots conducted at the group over several months.

A “period of experimentation” will commence in September, where the firm’s approach will be tested, refined, and evolved in tandem with a longer-term programme that will see EY’s office reconfigured to create increased collaboration spaces for meetings and group working.

Hywel Ball, UK chair of EY, claimed that the group had already “championed flexible working for many years” before the pandemic, and “will continue to do so”.

He said: “We also believe there will always be a need for EY to have office space across the UK, but how we use our offices in the future will change with a greater emphasis on collaboration rather than as a place for individual working. 

“We will therefore be moving to a hybrid model where our people are able to split their time between their home, office and client site.”

Ball added: “We believe a hybrid model creates an opportunity for us to maximise the benefits of both in-person collaboration and flexible remote working for our people and clients.

“It’s about trusting and empowering our people to manage their day in a way that works for them, their teams and their clients.”