Revolut will require hundreds of graduates and interns to work in the office at least three days a week from 2027, marking a shift from its longstanding remote-first policy for junior trainees. The digital bank, headquartered in London, previously allowed young recruits to choose between working from home or its offices, reflecting flexible arrangements offered to all other staff. That included the option to work abroad for up to 120 days a year, with the company stating it trusts employees to 'explore new cultures while staying productive and connected.'
Policy Change for 2027 Talent Programmes
Revolut is changing these rules for its 2027 cohort of graduates and interns, citing recognition that 'the early stages of a career benefit from in-person collaboration and mentoring.' Instead, these junior hires will be employed on a hybrid basis and must work in a Revolut office at least three days a week. This will affect hundreds of trainees, as Revolut has hired more than 300 graduates and interns this year.
However, Revolut emphasized this is not a rollback of flexible benefits for its wider workforce of 11,000 employees, most of whom are based at its new headquarters in London's Canary Wharf. The remote-first policy remains unchanged for all other staff, allowing them to work entirely from home year-round if they choose.
Company Statement and Expert Insight
Revolut, which has 13 million customers in the UK and was valued at $75 billion (£55 billion) last year, stated: 'Revolut operates a remote-first model across the world. We also recognise that the early stages of a career benefit from in-person collaboration and mentoring, so all intern and graduate roles in our 2027 talent programmes are hybrid, with successful candidates to the programme expected in the office at least three days a week. This applies to the 2027 talent programmes only. For all other employees, our remote-first policy is unchanged.'
Sally Hall, a senior consultant at employment law firm Bellevue Law, commented: 'From someone that has spent a huge amount of my professional career working remotely, I can totally understand the need to bring graduates in. The best way to learn is to be a sponge and working remotely makes this so much more challenging. However, the senior people need to be in the office, too, or there is nothing to absorb.'
Alignment with Industry Trends
Revolut's decision for young trainees, first reported by the Financial Times, aligns the fintech more closely with large banks that tightened work-from-home policies after the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly for younger staff. For example, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon told Bloomberg last year: 'It is an apprenticeship system … you can’t learn working from your basement.'
Revolut, which secured a full UK banking licence earlier this year after an unusual five-year wait, noted that successful graduates hired on full-time contracts would eventually benefit from the remote-first policy, including the work-from-abroad option, after passing their probation period.
