EY announces Reading relocation

EY has announced that it will be relocating to new office space in Reading, which has been designed to facilitate the firm’s new hybrid working model.

It said the new office marks EY’s “continued investment” in its Thames Valley business.

Over the last financial year, the firm has acquired Lane4 and Pythagoras, which both have operations in the Thames Valley. In September 2021, EY Reading also welcomed 46 new graduates and apprentices to the team, bringing its headcount to over 750 people.

EY is moving to R+ on Blagrave Street. It added it will provide more areas for collaboration and tech enabled meeting rooms, along with a variety of workstations including desks, team areas and informal seating.

Last year, EY confirmed that it would be transitioning to a hybrid working model in the UK, enabling individuals to split their time between the office, client sites, or working from home. This builds on the firm’s long-standing culture of flexible working, which had been in place for years prior to the pandemic.

EY has signed an initial five-year lease on the 25,000 sq ft of office accommodation, which is located over two floors, and expects to move in by Spring 2022.

The firm said that “the new office will provide better connectivity and facilities for hybrid working, including interactive meeting rooms with enhanced video conferencing facilities”.

Richard Baker, office managing partner at EY in Reading, said: “We believe that a hybrid working model will allow us to maximise the benefits of in-person collaboration with flexible remote working. It’s about trusting and empowering our people to manage their day in a way that works for them, their teams, and their clients.

“Our new offices in Reading have been designed to help facilitate this new way of working. There’s a much bigger emphasis on areas for collaboration, where teams can come together, rather than just having desks for independent working, which is more likely to be done at home.”