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Staff at John Lewis' head office have been told they need to spend more of the working week on site. Working from home and hybrid working have been adopted in sectors across the economy since the Covid pandemic broke out in 2020.

And though the lockdowns are thankfully now a distant memory, employers and staff able to do so have continued to embrace the benefits of working from home (often abbreviated to WFH). John Lewis is among major employers who made bold bets on the savings working could bring, halving the size of its head office in central London in 2023. But while the retail giant insists its commitment to the blended approach is unchanged, it's seemingly keen to get some of its staff back on the coal face.

In a memo sent to central office teams seen by The Telegraph, John Lewis Partners said: "Many organisations have noticed improvements in collaboration and culture alongside improved business performance as a result of a hybrid model - one that allows for more time in person while still enjoying the benefits of working time at home too."

But it reportedly added that teams including HR and their finance departments should spend more of their working week "collaborating face to face with [their] team and others [they] work alongside".

This could be either in the office or with suppliers, or touching base with customers and shops, they were told.

John Lewis Partnership said the shift in approach will help improve collaboration, speed up decision-making, as well as boost business performance.

It comes as the group, which also owns Waitrose, took a financial hit as it invests in modernising its legacy systems.

The group saw a £21m loss before tax for the year to 31 January 2026, having posted £97m profit for the previous year.

However, it said the losses include "exceptional charges of £120m (2024/25: £29m)" that were "primarily" related to "write downs of legacy systems, as we modernise technology to drive future growth".

A John Lewis spokesperson told the newspaper that their policy on hybrid working hasn't changed, and are committed to supporting flexibility for its staff.

"To drive collaboration, faster decision-making and creativity, our goal is for central teams to be in the office, with suppliers and visiting shops more than they are at home, so we are working with them to make this happen," they added.