by Sinead Cruise
LONDON (Reuters) – French bank BNP Paribas has warned its staff based in London that it will computer control their visits to the office as part of its efforts to limit teleworking, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
In this memo, dated September 25, the bank, which employs more than 4,500 people in the United Kingdom, indicates that this measure will allow it to “monitor with more precision the space needs of each team” and to guarantee compliance with “work requirements and fairness between teams”.
“This is not a question of trust,” is added in the memo which is not signed by any member of BNP Paribas management. The measure will allow the bank to identify employees and ensure that they comply with on-site work requirements.
BNP Paribas’ divisions in the United States and Canada have also updated their policy to include “monitoring the visibility of staff presence in the office.”
The memo makes no reference to the bank’s staff in France, where the majority of employees are located.
A BNP Paribas spokesperson confirmed the authenticity of the memo but declined to comment.
The memo, presented in question-and-answer format, indicates that staff will not be able to evade surveillance. It gives no indication of the date the measure will come into force.
“Many of our competitors have already implemented similar measures,” the memo further indicates.
“Presence in the office not only serves to show that one works at particular times, but also to improve working relationships and collaboration with colleagues,” he added.
(Reporting by Sinead Cruise; Blandine Hénault for the , editing by Kate Entringer)
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