A petition launched by "Concerned WPP Employees" has gained significant traction, amassing almost 10,000 signatures in just four days.
The petition opposes WPP CEO Mark Read's recently announced mandate requiring employees to return to the office for four days a week starting in April.
It is unclear how many of the signatures are from WPP employees.
What does adland make of WPP’s four office days per week mandate?
In their latest update, the founders of the petition urged supporters to take further action by participating in a survey and sharing the petition more widely. "Thank you to everyone who has signed the petition – our voices are being heard," they wrote. "We'd like to ask for your support across two areas: complete our survey on the return-to-office mandate and share this petition with your colleagues and networks."
The accompanying survey, entitled “Demand WPP to revoke its four-day office return mandate”, asks respondents for their views on the policy and its potential impact.
Key questions include: "Do you believe that WPP CEO Mark Read's four-day return-to-office mandate should be revoked?; Do you believe that Mark's mandate will support the long-term growth of WPP?; What impact do you believe Mark's mandate will have across the WPP employee network, and its engagement levels?; Do you believe in the vision and effectiveness of WPP CEO, Mark Read?"
The survey is hosted on Google Forms and is open to anyone, though respondents are asked to confirm whether they are WPP employees.
The petition itself criticises the return-to-office policy as outdated and detrimental to employee well-being. It reads: “In a post-Covid world where many businesses have embraced flexible working styles, WPP's decision seems to be a step backwards in supporting employee wellbeing and work-life balance. The mental and social effects on employees due to such rigid work regimes can be extensive.”
The group is calling on Read and the WPP leadership to reconsider the policy, advocating for a more flexible and inclusive approach. “It's time to move towards a future of work that's flexible, mindful, inclusive, and evidence-based. Please sign this petition to support our cause,” the statement concludes.
In the internal memo announcing the policy, Read justified the mandate by emphasising the benefits of in-person collaboration. “Spending more time together is important to all of us, and we are making a change to help that happen,” he wrote. He also highlighted flexibility within the policy, stating: “This doesn’t mean we’re going back to old ways of doing things.
"We need to keep that spirit of flexibility and trust, and will approach this transition with pragmatism and an understanding of people’s different circumstances.”
He noted that employees with caring responsibilities, health issues, or other special considerations could request additional flexibility and that some roles would remain largely remote.
Citing internal data, Read argued that increased office attendance correlates with higher employee engagement, improved client satisfaction, and better financial performance. “More of our clients are moving in this direction and expecting it of the teams who work with them,” he added.
The policy impacts WPP’s 111,000 employees worldwide. Headcount at the advertising giant has dropped from 114,000 at the end of 2023 to 111,000 by mid-2024, according to its H1 results.
The petitioners are calling on WPP colleagues to continue advocating for change, stating: “We need you to continue advocating and promoting this petition across all corners of WPP to ensure every voice is heard.”
A spokesman for WPP said on Friday (10 January): “We believe this is the right policy for the long-term interests of the company as a whole, knowing that it won’t be popular with everyone. And we will take the time to implement it in a collaborative and pragmatic way with our teams.”
One person who signed to petition, who appears to work for the group, wrote: "I am signing the petition regarding the introduction of a four-day office work week at WPP because I live more than 150 kilometres from my workplace. Work is very important to me, but I am deeply concerned about how these changes could affect my situation as someone living so far away.
"The additional commuting requirements would increase stress, reduce my overall well-being, and impose a significant financial burden. Moreover, such changes could negatively impact my productivity, as the added strain from commuting and reduced flexibility might make it more challenging to maintain the same level of focus and efficiency in my work."
Another said: "I'm signing because my productivity will be affected if we change our current hybrid situation, and it's not fair for those living in farther cities to be mandated to go in-office four days a week."
The policy has received a mixed response from adland. Some industry figures say staff working together in person for certain projects and during some periods of the year is best, while others admire WPP's move. Others view it as a “U-turn” on staff rights.
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