Consulting firm PwC will close most of its offices to employees over Christmas to save on energy costs.
Its main office at Embankment Place in London is among those set to close over the festive period, according to a memo sent to its 24,000 UK staff and reported in the Sunday Telegraph.
“With many using the festive period… to take a well-earned break from work, and with offices typically being quieter during that time, this year we will be taking the opportunity to reduce our energy consumption further by reducing the space we heat and light from Friday December 23 until Tuesday January 3,” the memo said.
Kevin Ellis, chairman and senior partner at PwC UK, told the Telegraph: “Office life is hugely important to our culture and business – but having all our offices open over the holiday period doesn’t make sense at a time of energy scarcity.
“Our people want us to do our bit to reduce energy consumption. We’ve taken a pragmatic approach ensuring some offices across the country remain open for those who need them.”
Some buildings will be open with limited capacity “for those who need them”, the memo added.
The consulting giant announced earlier this year that it would give workers Friday afternoons off during the summer as part of its hybrid working policy known as ‘The Deal’, which allows workers to choose the working patterns that best suit them.
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A survey earlier this year by Resource Solutions found that 42% of workers would consider coming to the office to save money on home energy bills, as pay struggles to keep pace with inflation.
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