Boots employees working at the multiple’s Nottingham head office have been asked to “make the office their usual place of work” from September 1, a Boots spokesperson told C+D today (March 5).
Read more: Boots pensions dispute: PDA launches ‘first stage’ of formal complaints process
But they added that “there will of course still be times when working from home is necessary for either personal or business reasons”.
Explaining the change, they said that Boots “really [values] the team spirit that comes with being together in person”.
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The news comes after the Pharmacists’ Defence Association (PDA) sent its members employed by Boots a “template” to complain to the multiple about changes to their pensions in December.
The union said that the offloading of Boots employees’ pension scheme to financial service provider Legal and General could lead to an income reduction for employees withdrawing their pension before turning 65.
And in February, the multiple and the union together announced that pharmacy trainees working for Boots will get a year-on-year pay increase of up to 29% in April.
Read more: Boots offloads pension scheme for £4.8bn amid fresh sales rumours
In 2021 and after multiple COVID-19 lockdowns, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society (RPS) said that it was considering leasing some “floor space” at its headquarters in east London.
It said that the pandemic had demonstrated that RPS employees could work as efficiently and effectively from home.
Read more: Well hits back at criticism: 'We're not forcing staff with COVID-19 to work'
Meanwhile, in 2022 the PDA claimed that Well was permitting colleagues who were currently unwell with COVID-19 to come into work.
At the time, Well told C+D it was “not forcing staff with COVID-19 to work”.
