Thousands have signed a petition imploring the world’s biggest advertising agency, WPP, to revoke a new rule forcing employees to attend the office four days a week.
Mark Read, the chief executive of the group which employs 111,000 people globally, wrote in a memo on 7 January: “From the beginning of April this year, the expectation across WPP will be that most of us spend an average of four days a week in the office.”
Employees have criticised Mr Read for “burying” the news in the ninth paragraph, towards the bottom of the newsletter, with most not finding out about the change until it was reported in trade media.
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Sky News has also learned that a number of senior executives are planning exits from various WPP-owned firms following the news.
One said: “It is difficult enough across the industry to find and retain talent, and this mandate will only make it harder.”
“We can only anticipate more choosing to leave. Staff morale has already taken a large hit as a result… during a month when many are already feeling negative both financially and mentally.”
A leader looking to leave another WPP-owned agency said: “There’s deep dismay at the way this has been handled. There needed to be some degree of consultation and debate.”
The insider said the move “does not give the indication that WPP leadership cares about its people”.
Staff are theorising that “it’s a way of pushing people out of the door, saving WPP from paying redundancy terms once AI takes hold”.
“If I were a potential client now I’d be asking: will WPP hold on to its staff? If they have doubts they might look elsewhere. This might look good for shareholders but it will have consequences in the long term.”
A WPP spokesperson told Sky News: “We believe this is the right policy for the long-term interests of the company as a whole, knowing that it won’t be popular with everyone. And we will take the time to implement it in a collaborative and pragmatic way with our teams.”
Warren Johnson, founder and chief executive of public relations firm, W Communications, which boasts a headcount of 200 and enforces a four-day office week, recently hinted that companies going forward could dock the pay of those unwilling to return to the office.
He told the PR Week podcast: “If you’re a bit more of a plodder, you’re quite happy to get through your to-do list but not really get stuck into the rest of the business, working from home is great, and you’ll start to see remuneration start to shift accordingly.”
Those behind the petition shared results of an employee survey they had conducted, which suggests that of the 1,294 surveyed, 98% wanted the mandate revoked, while 58% strongly disagreed with Mark Read’s “vision and effectiveness” as chief executive.
The petition argues that the “mental and social effects on employees due to such rigid work regimes can be extensive.”
They ask the chief executive to embrace a “mindful, inclusive” approach to work.
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When asked how they could prove to management that all signatories were genuine WPP employees, the organisers claimed they would be able to validate the list.
They went on to tell Sky News: “WPP conducted a significant amount of hiring during the ‘remote-first’ period post-COVID.
“In addition to long commutes, this mandate effectively represents an indirect pay cut for many employees who will now suddenly need to pay potentially thousands of pounds to cover their transport costs each year.
“Leadership, line managers, and employees across the WPP network have been scrambling for answers that do not exist as HR teams are scrambling to respond reactively.”
WPP’s share price has fallen more than 12% since the start of the year.