Boots employees to return to office five days a week

Boots has told all head office employees that it expects them to return to the office five days a week from 1 September 2024.

The health and beauty retailer wants to make its offices in Nottingham, London and Weybridge a "normal place of work" for its employees.

A spokesperson for Boots told TheIndustry.beauty: "We are asking team members to make the office their usual place of work from 1 September.

"We really value the team spirit that comes with being together in person. There will of course still be times when working from home is necessary for either personal or business reasons."

Seb James, Managing Director of Boots UK

The news was revealed to staff this week in an email from Managing Director Seb James. He wrote: "In line with a majority of UK businesses, I want to start a thoughtful plan that gets us back to the office – whether Nottingham, London or Weybridge – being the normal place of work for everybody for the whole working week.

"There is no rush, and I know that we will need to upgrade some of our office facilities, but we will transition there by the start of the next financial year on 1 September, six months away, when these new ways of working will go live.

"I have been very heartened by the way people have embraced the three days a week model and I think that you will agree that the office is a much more fun and inspiring place on those days.

"There is no doubt in my mind that the informal conversations, brief catch-ups and ability to meet in groups in person has been far more effective – and better for our unique Boots culture than the enforced formality of remote meetings. I know that has been true for me."

Last week, Boots appointed Preyash Thakrar as its new Strategy & Transformation Director as it "embarks on a significant period of change". Thakrar brings experience from his role as Chief Strategy & Customer Officer at supermarket chain Asda from 2017 to 2021.