EY tells US tax staff to work from office three days a week

EY has told U.S. tax staff they need to be in the office an average of three days a week, in a tightening of the firm’s hybrid working policy. 

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Staff in the accounting and consulting firm’s U.S. tax business will be required to work on the premises or at a client site 12 days a month from July 1, according to people familiar with the situation.

There is no weekly mandate, meaning workers can choose which days to attend across the month, the people said, asking not to be named discussing internal policies.

Many finance firms have rolled back the widespread work-from-home and hybrid work policies introduced in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic. French bank Societe General SA asked staff in June to return to the office four days per week, while U.K. lender HSBC Holdings Plc has been tightening its attendance policies. India-based staff of Deloitte US were asked last year to start attending the office two days per week.

At EY, the change is a move away from its hybrid working policy in the U.S., which encourages staff to come to the office two to three days per week, but does not mandate attendance, according to Business Insider. Even under the new tighter rules, EY is taking a more relaxed approach to in-person working than many other finance and professional service companies.

“In-person connection helps foster collaboration and provides opportunities for apprenticeship, both of which are at the heart of how our teams grow and serve clients,” a spokesperson for EY said. “Intentional time together helps accelerate learning and drives innovation, while our hybrid approach maintains flexibility for our people.”

Tax is one of EY’s four service lines, with more than 73,000 tax staff worldwide in 2024, according to its website.