Thomas Gottstein, CEO of Credit Suisse Group, is one of few bank executives that believes his company will never return to the office full-time.Ā
āItās unrealistic and it is not what employees want,ā said Gottstein in an interview at the World Economic forum. āWe are in a soft way trying to encourage people to come back, but itās counterproductive if you push too hard.āāÆāÆĀ
Gottstein added that, while 60% of employees should be in the office based on the firmās current policies, only around 37% have returned.Ā
āI think in certain cities like London ā where commuting is painful ā that is why people prefer to stay from home one or two days, they donāt have to commute,ā said Gottstein.Ā
More and more companies across Europe are echoing the same sentiment, with flexibility taking over as the dominant post-pandemic workplace trait.āÆĀ
For instance, Spanish financial firm Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria SA recently updated its remote working policies.Ā
On the other hand, banks in the US are still hesitant to come to the same conclusion.āÆĀ
Companies like JPMorgan Chase and Goldman Sachs made headlines due to their stark opposition to remote working, but have recently softened their stance as they realize the necessity this work benefit will play in the future of retention.Ā