Primark introduces hybrid working model for office-based colleagues

Primark has announced it plans to implement a new hybrid working model which will see office-based employees working in an office setting for an average of three days a week.

The news precedes the company's office-based employees returning to workspaces from September at its global headquarters at Arthur Ryan House in Dublin, Primark House in Reading and its Central Supply Chain office in Islip.

The working model for each staff member will be determined by individual role requirement and with agreement at team level. Employees returning to Primark workspaces will join members of the product teams and central functions teams who have been office-based in recent months to work on business-critical tasks.

The new hybrid model was developed in response to the new needs of its staff and is an evolution of Primark’s existing flexible working approach, which includes the choice to work from home, on the go or from different locations, plus flexible start and finish times and early finish Fridays.

Lorraine Culligan, Group Director of People and Culture at Primark said: “People are at the heart of everything we do at Primark, where creativity and collaborative working are key to our success. We want to protect our great culture, support our people into the future and continue to innovate for our customers. Together, we have taken the learnings and insights from the last 18 months to develop a hybrid working model that gives us the best of both remote and in-person work, balancing flexibility with human connection and collaboration.

“We plan to implement this change for everyone from September, yet we are living in uncertain times, and we will continue to trial and learn for the foreseeable. We do not have a crystal ball, and the situation is continually changing however this new hybrid model is based on trust and will enable greater personal flexibility, allowing each colleague to blend working from home with working from their Primark workspace.

“This is a new way of working for us all. While cross-functional collaboration and informal conversations have always been important at Primark, how we utilise our office spaces will feel different from September onwards. We are fully committed to supporting our colleagues on their return to office-based work, while also continuing to support our fantastic store teams in over 395 stores across 14 markets, always keeping our customers at the centre of everything we do.”

Primark has also confirmed it will continue to adhere to all government guidelines, with safety remaining a top priority for everyone in its stores and office spaces.