An Australia-based employee of WPP has penned an open letter to CEO Mark Read about the order to staff to return to the office four days a week by April.
The norm in Australia is three days in the office but this had been applied unevenly across WPP agencies.
A change.org petition, started by Concerned WPP Employees, has almost 13,000 signatures against the global directive.
Recruiters say an imposed return-to-work mandates feel like a lack of trust and requiring four days in office may be a tipping point for a lot of workers.
The letter, written by an employee who wants to remain anonymous:
I am writing on behalf of the 10,000+ employees who have signed a petition urging you to reconsider the recently announced four-day in-office mandate, set to begin in April.
The world has changed dramatically since 2020, when a five-day office routine was the norm. So have we. There are countless global, economic, and personal factors influencing the collective response from WPP employees, and I hope that by highlighting just some of these today, you will reevaluate this decision.
Housing and Accommodation Challenges
The pandemic reshaped the housing market worldwide, and its effects are still being felt. In Australia, for example, rental prices have increased by an average of 9.3% per year since 2020, compared to just 2-3% annually pre-pandemic—a staggering 272% difference. Inflation remains high, and house prices have also soared, with average increases of 8.4% annually compared to 5.8% before 2020. I imagine there are multiple other similar stats like this throughout our multiple markets.
Many employees now face a difficult trade-off between affordable housing and proximity to the office. Your requirement that employees live within a “reasonable distance” is increasingly untenable for those priced out of housing near our offices.
Commuting Costs: Time and Money
Commuting, both financially and personally, is another significant burden. While some employees thrived during the pandemic by saving money and time on commutes, the proposed mandate would reverse those gains.
WPP is a global company with employees in diverse markets, many of whom face long and costly commutes due to unaffordable local housing. For some, these hours of travel encroach on what was previously personal time—time that is essential for maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
Parental Responsibilities
The policy also raises concerns for working parents. In Australia, for example, daycare costs can reach $200 per day, placing additional financial strain on families required to work on-site. Moreover, daycare waitlists can stretch from several months to years in some areas, leaving parents without viable childcare solutions.
Many families have rebuilt routines around school drop-offs, pickups, and remote work flexibility. These routines enable both parents and children to thrive in a post-pandemic world. Disrupting these arrangements will create stress and upheaval for countless families.
Neurodivergent Employees
The past few years have also brought increased awareness of neurodivergence and the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent employees in traditional office settings. Open-plan offices with harsh lighting, high noise levels, and social pressures can create an environment where some employees struggle to thrive.
Remote work provides a level of control, safety, and reduced anxiety for neurodivergent employees, enabling them to feel safe, heard, and in control of otherwise challenging environments. Removing this flexibility feels like a step backwards after so much great progression in this space, and I worry about the pressure this places on our neurodivergent colleagues.
Personal Wellbeing
Since 2020, many employees have reclaimed their commuting time, using it to focus on their wellbeing. Activities such as exercise, cooking, spending time with family, or simply decompressing have become integral to their daily lives. For some including myself, this shift has had a profound positive impact on their mental health. The loss of this precious reclaimed time under a four-day in-office mandate feels disheartening to say the least.
A Call for Flexibility and Empathy
The world has changed irrevocably since 2020, and WPP has the opportunity to lead by embracing flexibility, inclusivity, and empathy. Employees who prefer to work four or five days in the office are welcome to do so, but others should not be forced into a rigid model that disregards individual circumstances and the realities of our post-pandemic world. How can we be taking steps backwards towards a model from 2019, in 2025?
Mark, I hope this letter provides a glimpse into the concerns shared by tens of thousands of your employees. While this letter cannot capture every unique perspective, it reflects the collective sentiment of a workforce navigating unprecedented challenges.
Please reconsider the four-day mandate and instead work toward a model that empowers all employees to thrive—one that accommodates diversity in experience, circumstance, and needs while enabling WPP to continue progressing as an industry leader.
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