A growing number of WPP employees have come together under the banner “Concerned WPP employees” to challenge the advertising giant’s recently introduced four-day office return mandate.
The employees, who represent some of the 114,000 staff under the WPP umbrella, have launched a petition urging CEO Mark Read to revoke the policy—an initiative that has already garnered over 11,000 signatures in four days.
In the petition, workers argue that forcing staff back into the office for at least four days a week goes against the broader shift toward flexible work arrangements in the post-COVID era. “This mandate comes from CEO Mark Read and impacts all 114,000 staff under the WPP umbrella,” the petition notes, claiming that insisting on a more rigid schedule “seems to be a step backwards in supporting employee wellbeing and work-life balance, citing anecdotal data that either does not exist or has been misrepresented.”
Read more: WPP mandates four-day office workweek for global workforce starting April
The signatories contend that inflexible office policies can exact a mental and social toll on employees, pointing to a wealth of resources that question the productivity and engagement benefits of strictly enforced in-office schedules.
However, according to an internal memo, CEO Mark Read reportedly maintains that working in person facilitates learning from each other and fosters more cohesive teamwork—particularly important for winning pitches in the fast-paced advertising landscape.
The WPP chief assured staff that the “spirit of flexibility” remains, and that the policy will accommodate those with unique circumstances, including health issues and caring responsibilities. Roles that have traditionally been remote will reportedly remain so.
The debate at WPP mirrors a wider industry shift, as corporations reassess remote and hybrid work arrangements.
JPMorgan Chase, for example, is moving hybrid workers to a five-day office schedule, while tech giants including Amazon and AT&T announced at the end of 2024 that they would require employees to return to office this year.
For WPP, the official four-day return mandate is set to begin in early April, and in the meantime, the employee-led petition continues to gain momentum.
Read more: 8 global giants leading the charge on return-to-office mandates