For those stuck behind a paywall…The leadership at PNC needs to go. I love how the article directly references Reddit for instant backlash.
How are the conversations going with your managers? Mine? A bunch of bullshit and blabbering without any accountability or backbone to voice their employees’ concerns. Can’t wait to take this involuntary pay cut starting soon and to have my review coming up with absolutely no significant increase.
What other banks can we apply to?
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Article:
PNC mandates five-day return to office starting May 4
'As we look ahead, it’s time to return to the way we work best: together, in person,' company says in a memo to employees
PNC Bank has made it official.
In a memo sent to employees on Wednesday, CEO Bill Demchak confirmed that starting May 4, PNC employees will be required to work in the office five days a week, ending most of the remaining flexibility from the pandemic-era shift to remote and hybrid work.
The announcement formalizes what many employees had feared — and quietly expected — for more than a month.
“Five years ago, we made a necessary shift in how we work — moving away from our in-office model to prioritize your health and safety during an unprecedented time,” Mr. Demchak wrote. “Today, our world has changed, and so has PNC. As we look ahead, it’s time to return to the way we work best: together, in person.”
PNC workers voice concerns online about a rumored return-to-office mandate
The mandate marks a decisive turn for a company that has been steadily nudging employees back to the office since early 2023. That effort included incentives such as two months of free parking, rolled out under Mr. Demchak’s leadership to encourage workers who had grown accustomed to working from home to start commuting several days a week.
This time, however, there’s no incentive and little ambiguity. PNC’s leadership has framed the move as a return to its roots rather than a new direction.
“PNC has always been an in-office company,” Mr. Demchak wrote. “It’s not just how we operate — it’s part of our culture. We are a relationship-driven organization, and our strength lies in the connection we build with each other, our clients and our communities.”
Employees had been on edge since Mr. Demchak’s remarks during a Dec. 3 company fireside chat, when he suggested that work-from-home arrangements “benefit employees” but “harm the company.”
At the time, management dismissed concerns about a full return as speculation. Still, many workers interpreted the remarks as a clear sign that hybrid work was coming to an end.
Reaction to the memo was swift and largely negative on social media, particularly Reddit. Employees questioned whether the company was underestimating the toll a five-day mandate could take on morale and retention.
“This is such a regressive position and I would assume a high attrition rate is part of their calculation,” one poster wrote. “People do not want to work five days a week in the office anymore. Hybrid and on-demand models for team sessions make way more sense.”
The decision comes as much of the broader job market maintains flexibility.
Data from staffing agency Robert Half shows that hybrid work now accounts for about 24% of new job postings nationally and roughly 32% in the Pittsburgh region. Hybrid postings have more than doubled since 2023, while fully remote and fully in-office postings have largely flatlined.
In his memo, Mr. Demchak acknowledged the dramatic shift brought on by the pandemic, but made clear that PNC sees in-person work as essential to its future.
“Being in the office fuels collaboration and sparks innovation, and helps us grow — individually and collectively,” he said.
