Barclays is facing a growing backlash over return-to-office plans, with thousands of staff calling for payouts to help cover travel costs and an exemption for those living more than 40 minutes from work.

Unionised staff represented by Unite are pushing back against plans announced by the bank earlier this summer to get staff back into the office at least three days a week from October, with more senior employees expected to come in at least four days a week.

The current policy requires full-time Barclays staff to be in at least two days a week.

Unite, which represents nearly 80% of Barclays’ 45,000 UK staff, says thousands of employees have now signed an open letter – first reported by the Financial Times – that has been sent to the bank’s bosses and widely circulated across its UK offices.

The union plans to speak to Barclays about staff concerns in the coming days.

A Unite national officer, Rick Coyle, said: “One of the issues that has caused consternation is that most employers in banking and financial services are generally embracing greater flexibility. Our members think that Barclays is trying to fix a problem that doesn’t exist.

“Thousands of employees have signed the letter and the figure continues to rise. Unite will be speaking to Barclays about the strength of feeling in the days ahead.”

Barclays’ return-to-office order echoes those imposed by other large banks, which tightened their work-from-home policies after the Covid pandemic, particularly for younger staff.

That includes JP Morgan, whose chief executive, Jamie Dimon, told Bloomberg last year: “It is an apprenticeship system … you can’t learn working from your basement.”

A Barclays spokesperson said: “We recognise the benefits of balancing flexibility for colleagues with the importance of working together in our physical locations. Our minimum time in office requirements vary by business area, reflecting the nature of the work and the needs of the business.

“This means that most of our colleagues who are not already working in the office three days [per week] will align with our broader approach across the bank. Alongside this, our most senior leaders will spend an additional day in the office to support collaboration, decision-making and leadership visibility.”