‘It has left us reeling’ – WPP managers on enforcing the 4-day return-to-office mandate

Read cited internal data linking higher office attendance with stronger engagement, client satisfaction and financial performance. “We do our best work when we are together in person,” he wrote.

Read’s note said that managers would “follow up with next steps for your part of the business” and stressed the importance of consistency across agencies. Employees were directed to visit the in-house resource and networking tool InsideWPP for FAQs, further details of the policy and access to an “AI-powered chat agent” to help answer any questions.

However, The Drum has learned from sources that multiple managers felt unprepared to address team questions. Some only learned about the policy changes the day before the announcement, leaving them on the back foot when their teams pressed for details.

Since the news broke, disgruntled agency employees have rallied by signing a Change.org petition urging WPP to revoke the mandatory office return. Previously, WPP-owned agencies had the autonomy to establish their own hybrid work rules. Critics of the new policy cite concerns such as financial strain, employee wellbeing and discrimination against individuals with disabilities and neurodivergent conditions. At the time of writing, the petition has garnered more than 15,000 signatures, yet because the survey was open to anyone with the link, the figures might not strictly represent WPP employees. Rival agency staff or other third parties – one signatory even claimed to be “Mark Read” himself – could have weighed in.

In addition, a Change.org-hosted survey titled Confidence in CEO Mark Read is on the decline claims that, of 1,300 purported WPP employees, 98% want the policy scrapped and 58% lack confidence in Read’s vision.

In the wake of the announcement, several management-level staff from various agencies within WPP spoke anonymously to The Drum to share their concerns and the general reaction to the new mandate has been overwhelmingly negative.

Employees feel blindsided by the decision, they said, with many expressing a deep sense of frustration and resentment. “I’ve yet to speak to a single colleague who is happy with the four-day RTO,” shared one senior employee. This sentiment echoes throughout the company, as staff members feel that the decision was made without sufficient input or consideration of their preferences.

Another expressed being “disgusted, saddened and quite angry” about the announcement. “There are threats of not receiving raises, demands for two Fridays a month and statements that ‘distance is not an excuse’ for not coming in,” a staff member explained. The lack of open forums or opportunities for employees to voice their concerns has compounded feelings of alienation. “It has left us reeling.”

Capacity

Several senior managers expressed concerns about the physical limitations of office spaces. “We’ve already had meeting room capacity problems and we absolutely do not currently have space for more people to be in,” observed one. “We have to reserve seats for team members by coming in before 9am and using our coats and bags because there is no desk booking system available to us.

“The building is just not capable of accommodating everyone at once. On busy days, we already struggle with wifi issues and finding quiet spaces for calls. It’s difficult to book meeting rooms and we’re often left without desks.”

Noise and overcrowding are not just annoyances but also impediments to productivity. “We’re on calls with clients all day and everyone can hear our business reviews, proposals and client status calls among the desks,” said another employee. The open-plan office environment does not support the high volume of concurrent phone calls required in their roles.

Clients, too, have expressed concerns, managers said. “Some clients have requested calls on non-office days because it’s so hard to hear in the open-plan office,” shared another employee. Others noted that their clients are sympathetic to their plight. “They’ve been clear that this is not something they would ask for and it seems contrary to our clients’ needs.”

Commuting

The new return-to-office policy has also raised significant issues related to travel. Many employees have highlighted the financial and time burdens of commuting and their fears for a significant decline in their quality of life.

One manager noted the personal financial impact: “My travel costs will jump from £200 to £500 a month. This increase, combined with additional childcare expenses, will make it impossible for me to afford a house as planned. The financial strain is a direct consequence of this mandate.”

Another employee voiced concerns about the time investment required for commuting: “It will add at least two hours to my day commuting and, if I use public transit, it could increase to four hours.”

Caregiving

The mandate has sparked particular anxiety among parents and caregivers. “I am worried that parents and caregivers, who over-index female and people of color, will be the first forced out by the mandate,” said one manager.

They added: “Childcare is hard and the consequences of additional travel time are more than a ‘personal responsibility.’ It feels punitive to parents when childcare continues to rise in cost and when in many places it simply isn’t available at hours that match 9am-5pm plus that travel time.”

One employee shared how they have colleagues who will need to double their childcare costs, while another bluntly put it: “Mark Read and his leadership team are asking his workforce to prioritize WPP over our children, partners, pets and personal wellbeing so he can get bodies in the building.”

Wellbeing

Health-related concerns, particularly for neurodivergent and disabled employees, have been a major point of contention. Many feel the policy neglects their wellbeing and undermines previous accommodations.

One employee described their struggle: “The only way I could get an exemption is due to relevant medical reasons. I would have to get a note from a doctor and apply with HR to receive an exemption. If they approve it, I won’t have to go into the office, but I am also banned from going in for any team-building events, client meetings, happy hours, etc. This exemption is temporary and I have to reapply as if my medical issues will simply vanish once enough time has passed.”

Another senior manager highlighted the broader mental health implications: “With WFH flexibility, I saw how my neurodivergent colleagues benefited from greater trust to manage their own time to meet deadlines, decreased pressure to mask, and fewer distractions from open office plans. The offices are not set up to support the number of loud, concurrent phone calls that will continue to be required as we work with colleagues across offices.”

In response to the concerns raised by managers, a WPP spokesperson told The Drum: “We know our people value flexibility which is why we’re approaching this with pragmatism and an understanding of personal circumstances. There will be a clear exemptions process to reflect individual needs – including for those with caregiving responsibilities, commuting concerns or specific workplace requirements. There will continue to be flexible options such as adjusted schedules and other tailored arrangements, and nothing will change for those on remote contracts.

“The new approach is designed to ensure more balanced attendance levels across the week which will help manage capacity, and in any office where that becomes an issue, we’ll take the time we need to resolve it in a sensible, practical and cooperative way. The goal is not to revert to old ways of doing things but to establish a more consistent approach across our business, supporting the long-term success of the company and the careers of our people.”

WPP’s four-day requirement is not the most stringent example of an RTO policy in the corporate world, though it does take the UK-headquartered firm a step further than most in advertising and marketing. JPMorgan Chase chief executive Jamie Dimon recently instructed most hybrid workers to return five days a week, citing the need for “mentoring, learning, brainstorming and getting things done.” Likewise, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, PwC, and Stellantis have all issued or are considering five-day office mandates, driving staff unease and even resignations.

For these companies, the move is often presented as a back-to-basics approach: leaders argue that physical proximity sustains culture, fosters creativity and reinforces productivity – claims that resonate differently depending on one’s role, commute and personal circumstances.

Analysts highlight another factor in the push for in-person work: concerns over commercial real estate values and broader economic pressures. Persistent hybrid or remote working has caused office vacancies to soar, prompting banks and property owners to raise alarms about falling valuations and future loan defaults. That dynamic could be influencing corporate leaders eager to justify newly built headquarters or buoy local businesses reliant on office footfall.

Meanwhile, other large agencies and professional services giants continue to experiment with remote, hybrid or fully in-office models, testing what works best for them – and often reaching different conclusions. For WPP, an organization defined by its varied agencies and global reach, the true impact of this new policy may only become clear in the months after it takes effect in April.

More on returning to the office:

• It’s time for staff to get back into the office, says Iris chair Ian Millner

• Mandatory office returns exclude parents and disabled people and their amazing ideas

• Plenty of agencies are tightening hybrid policies, but few match WPP’s 4 office days