The FCA wants people in the office. They want to be at home

If you work for the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) in London, you won't earn as much as compliance people in banks, but you have at least been able to hang around at home a lot. This is changing.

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In memos sent to staff today, the FCA said it wants executive directors to be in the office 60% of the time each month. Other staff will need to be in the office 50% of the time. The changes will take effect from September 2026. 

Sources at the FCA informed us yesterday that the changes were coming. The FCA initially intended to inform staff of the changes on January 28th but was compelled to announce the changes internally today.

FCA staff currently spend 40% of their time in the office and 60% at home. Sources at the regulator say that working from home is a major attraction of working there. 

The FCA says that spending more time in the office will, "deliver greater collaboration and innovation, support the mentoring and development of colleagues, help us to solve complex or novel problems more easily, improve communication and strengthen our shared sense of purpose – all of which enrich us an organisation."

One FCA insider told us: "The FCA offers no bonus and pays less than the private sector. The two day a week or 40% office policy was one of the very few benefits working there." 

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