One of France’s largest banks has told staff based in London that it will start tracking their movements in and out of its offices, but it says its intentions are good.
In an unsigned memo shared with workers on September 25, Reuters and times of londonBNP Paribas bosses said they will start tracking employees’ onboarding swipes to ensure they meet attendance targets.
The bank launched “smart work” The policy was introduced in 2021 as workers slowly returned to hybrid work models in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions.This method allows workers telecommute Up to half a week, plus weekly on-site service.
The bank’s London branch has 4,500 employees and the memo shows the group is currently monitoring staff turnover to see whether these targets are being met.
However, according to media reports, the bank told staff that the new initiative was “not a matter of trust” and would instead monitor and support staff who do not adhere to “smart working” attendance minimums.
“Going to the office isn’t just about demonstrating that you’re working at specific times, it’s also about fostering better working relationships and collaboration with colleagues,” era The memo said.
Reuters reported that a data protection impact and legitimate interests assessment had been carried out to ensure the monitoring of employees would not breach the contract.
Failed to meet minimum requirements
Data will be provided to senior managers of employees who fail to comply with the proposed minimum standards, who can decide whether to take action. Employees cannot opt out of being tracked, the memo said.
The memo did not indicate whether the move would apply to BNP Paribas’ 56,000 employees, which does most of its business in France.
The move to track employees is the latest development in a long-running tug-of-war between business owners and workers. Employees are often unwilling to give up the flexibility of working from home, while those who live further away from the office refuse to go back and pay the high cost of commuting.
Employers, on the other hand, worry that they will lose the key cultural advantage of bringing employees together. While a broad truce appears to have been reached in the mix, BNP Paribas’ move is the latest evidence that compromise is not yet complete.
Representatives for BNP Paribas did not immediately respond. wealthRequest for comment. However, the bank did confirm to Reuters that the memo was genuine.
“BNP Paribas UK has been taking initiatives to support hybrid working and create the most flexible workspaces for teams,” a spokesperson told the Financial Times. era.
groundbreaking move
BNP Paribas leads the field Provide flexibility When the company began piloting one or two days a week of remote work for some employees in 2014, it wasn’t the first to adopt the latest ideas for tracking employees.
In July, Bank of America Citigroup began track office movements of its 9,000 UK staff to identify those who continue to work remotely. The company has been ordering underperformers back to the office amid months of growing resentment between the company and its absentee workforce.
In a statement in June, the organization said it would hold employees who did not show up to the office three days a week accountable for their absences.
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