To change with the trends or remain true to your commitments to workers—what is the best way to navigate remote work policies? For Standard Chartered, its hybrid work policy serves as a way to treat adults like adults. The CEO of the company, Bill Winters, recently spoke to Bloomberg Television about his decision to allow the organization’s hybrid work schedule to remain undisturbed, suggesting that the flexibility was a large reason for its ongoing success.
Remote work policies are a cherished benefit for many workers who much prefer working from their homes over the oppressive and restrictive environments they are forced into at their workplace. The many perks and freedoms of at-home work far outweigh the handful of benefits they receive from showing up to the office, but for employers, allowing remote work is akin to allowing work to come to a complete halt. Workers have been pushing back against RTO policies, but their concerns and reservations have largely gone unheard.
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Standard Chartered’s Hybrid Work Policy Brings a Fresh Spark of Hope for Workers Who Want Flexibility
Setting itself apart from financial institutions across the globe, Standard Chartered has not yet given up on its hybrid work model. If CEO Bill Winters is to be believed, there are no current plans to renege on the promise either. In the interview with Bloomberg Television, he stated, “We work with adults, and the adults can have an adult conversation with other adults and decide how they’re going to best manage their team.”
The decision to treat employees like responsible adults is something we’ve seen with Spotify as well, and in both cases, employees remain appreciative of the opportunity to still make the most of working from home.
The remote working policy at StanChart offers employees some room to make connections within the workplace and communicate face-to-face on tasks that could benefit from it, while still allowing workers to seek some flexibility. “Our MDs want to come to the office. They come to the office because they collaborate. They manage their people. They lead teams. But if they need the flexibility, they can get it from us,” he explained. As reported by Fortune, the CEO himself works on a hybrid schedule, although he states he spends most of the workweek in the office, allowing himself one day to operate from elsewhere.
Standard Chartered’s Hybrid Model Has Not Interrupted Its Success
Most employers pushing for a full-time return to in-person work believe that hybrid work setups interfere with productivity and flatten the connection between employees. While there is some truth to their concerns in terms of fully remote teams, the Standard Chartered hybrid work policy, in parallel with the company’s success, shows that there are reasons to give flexibility a shot.
According to Investing.com, in its second quarter of 2025, the company reported a market capitalization of $41.65 billion, with profits before tax increasing by 34% to $2.4 billion. Its revenue is up 14-15% year-over-year. Despite all odds, there is evidence to suggest that its hybrid setup is still working in its favor. A hybrid system allows employees to enjoy the best of both worlds, operating comfortably from their homes and occasionally suiting up to socialize with coworkers in the office.
Standard Chartered’s Approach Brings up the Conversation on Hybrid Work vs. RTO
Standard Chartered is in no rush to enforce RTO policies, according to Bill Winters, but the company’s competitors have largely begun moving to a more restrictive approach to hybrid work. Citi is another financial institution that has maintained its commitment to hybrid work. On the other hand, JP Morgan Chase has enforced a full-time return to in-person work, forcing employees to come in 5 days a week. Staffers complained about the lack of infrastructure to support this transition, but this has not changed CEO Jamie Dimon’s stance on the matter.
The lack of sufficient infrastructure is a major problem when it comes to the new trend of prioritizing full-time in-person work. Standard Chartered is reportedly improving on its facilities to support workers better during their time in the office, however, not all organizations that are switching over to in-person work are able to expand their physical workspaces to accommodate the shift. This further disrupts work as employees try to operate around each other. A switch over to in-person work requires more than just a mandate asking employees to prepare themselves to return.
Is a Hybrid Policy Right for You? Choose Carefully
The decisions to allow workers to operate fully remotely, fully in-person, or find a happy middle ground come with many consequences that need to be actively considered before a decision is made. Organizations that determine that bringing workers back into the office is in their best interest need to be prepared to ensure that they receive a warm welcome and feel supported within the office space.
Making the transition easier can dampen some of their resistance to the change, allowing them to slowly experience the benefits of operating in close proximity with their co-workers.
Businesses like Standard Chartered, which commit to their hybrid work policy, can in turn set regulations in place for tracking productivity and optimizing their time away from the office. Giving workers some decision-making power can be a powerful way of putting trust in their ability to live up to expectations.
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