Peel Hunt Moves to 4‑Day Office Week Amid Hybrid Recalibration

Peel Hunt, a City of London investment bank with around 320 employees, has updated its hybrid work policy, now requiring staff to be in the office four days per week. The revised strategy, launched in January 2025 originally for front-office teams and now extended firm-wide, reflects a focus on strengthening in-person teamwork and client engagement.

According to Financial News, this move follows growing internal pressure to balance flexibility with face-to-face collaboration. Peel Hunt maintains hybrid work on one day, holding flexible policies compared to full mandatory returns from competitors. The firm indicated the new approach is guided by core priorities: enhancing client service, supporting team needs, and ensuring fairness across roles to sustain a cohesive company culture

Industry-wide shift in financial services

Peel Hunt’s shift is symptomatic of a larger trend within the financial sector. Institutions such as JPMorgan, Goldman Sachs, and Barclays have already reintroduced stricter in-office requirements, often five days weekly. Others, like Citigroup and UBS, have moved to three to four days in-office. Peel Hunt’s updated schedule puts it in the more collaborative camp, without fully abandoning flexibility .

Balancing culture, client service, and flexibility

While some employees express concerns over losing remote-work benefits like reduced commute and family time, Peel Hunt believes most will appreciate enhanced collaboration on deals and problem-solving. The firm estimates that four mid-week days in an office environment will better support team cohesion without completely eliminating remote freedom.

What this means for remote work futures

Peel Hunt’s revised policy underscores a crucial insight: hybrid doesn’t mean half the time, but rather structuring in-office work for high-impact interaction. As remote work matures, companies are refining hybrid policies to blend performance with business needs. Peel Hunt’s decision may well set a model for mid-sized financial firms aiming to balance digital flexibility and in-person rigor.