World Bank Wants Employees Back In Office, Offers More Perks: Report

Ajay Banga, newly appointed president of the World Bank, is pushing ahead with the plan and wants to implement it from September 5, as per the report

The World Bank is pushing ahead with a plan to bring its employees back to the office, for this it is introducing new incentives for its staff. The Washington-based global lender wants its over 16,000 employees to come to the office 4 days a week, according to a report by Bloomberg. Ajay Banga, newly appointed president of the World Bank, is pushing ahead with the plan and wants to implement it from September 5. For this lender is offering employees more money for traveling and childcare. 

However, after the plan was revealed via a memo titled “Return to Office: Flexibility & Support,” some of the staff have raised concerns about returning to office, the report said. The four-day workweek will be implemented from September 5, after the US Labour Day weekend and the traditional back-to-school period. 

As per the memo, the World Bank intends to substantially increase the Metro subsidy for employees working at its Washington headquarters, potentially up to $150 per month. Additionally, the expense of utilising the institution's childcare facility will be reduced by 20 per cent, as outlined in the memo. Similar commuting assistance will be extended to employees in over 100 other World Bank offices across the globe, as per the report. 

Ajay Banga and other top officials, in the memo, said, "We need greater interaction, collaboration and physical proximity. It will require us to sit around a table, meet new people in the halls, brainstorm ideas over lunch and bond over a coffee."

The World Bank move follows a trend of companies like Amazon, aiming to bring employees back to the office due to concerns about remote work's impact on productivity. As per the report, the move also aligns with the World Bank evolution road map, led by its new leader, Banga.

However, challenges also exist as federal worker unions and Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser have resisted a complete return to office. This approach contrasts with the enduring popularity of remote work among employees and the impact on commercial real estate and downtown businesses