Manchester United staff were reportedly ordered to work from the office full-time from June 1, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe carried out a major cultural overhaul.
The club’s part owner warned employees last week that flexible working arrangements had to end and told them to go elsewhere if they didn’t like it.
He argued that he had seen a reduction in productivity at INEOS with similar home working subsidies.
Staff are expected to work full hours from the club’s bases in London or Manchester from next month, according to the athletic.
The billionaire’s goal is to transform an ailing club from top to bottom and stripping it of a privilege that has benefited many since the Covid-19 pandemic is part of that vision.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly ordered all Man United staff to return to the office from June 1.
The club has a flexible work-from-home policy but Ratcliffe has told workers to “find alternative employment” if they do not want to come.
‘The key to achieving this goal (of a high-performance environment) is connection and collaboration. “Everyone comes together as a collective to share skills, knowledge and ideas, building on the best of what we already do and looking at where we need to change and innovate,” said an internal email sent to staff, not signed by Ratcliffe himself.
‘We believe this connection and collaboration is best achieved when everyone works together in close proximity. Although hybrid working has some benefits, it cannot replace the value of people being physically together.
“With this in mind, we will ask all colleagues who currently have hybrid working arrangements to return to the office permanently.”
Ratcliffe reportedly told workers: “If you don’t like it, find alternative employment.”
According to the Athletic, there are not enough desks for everyone in the London and Manchester offices, as they have been adapted for working from home.
Mail Sport understands there is limited space at the club’s Old Trafford stadium, where some staff work, and little space at its Carrington training ground, hence many have started working from home.
But Ratcliffe is said to be concerned about his staff’s productivity after citing a statistic showing email traffic has dropped by 20 per cent while they worked remotely.
A report in guardian claims there was a “bewildered” reaction among staff after initially learning of plans to scrap working from home.
The British billionaire has laid down the law in recent weeks after criticizing the club’s “disgraceful” mess at its Carrington training ground.
Ratcliffe was unimpressed during his visit to the complex and called for higher standards.
They consider Ratcliffe’s explanation for changing their working system “short-sighted” and do not know how all staff will be accommodated in a limited space.
Ratcliffe, 71, continues to lay down the law at Old Trafford after criticizing the “disgraceful” state of the club’s IT department and issuing a warning about “disorder” during his visit to Carrington.
“This week I had a good two-day visit to Carrington and Old Trafford. As always, I was made to feel very welcome. Thank you,’ began Ratcliffe’s note, which was sent to all staff and seen by Mail Sport.
‘I had a good tour of some of the facilities. I am afraid that in many places I was struck by a high degree of disorder. Particularly the IT department which was frankly a disgrace and the U18 and U21 changing rooms weren’t much better.
‘These standards would not be close to what we would expect at INEOS and we are a chemical company. Manchester United is an elite sporting organization.
“It’s a small thing in many ways, but unless an organization has standards and discipline, it won’t be successful.”
He continued: ‘I would be grateful if in the future we adopted proper cleaning standards everywhere.
“It’s a bad image for the club if we have visitors, parents of young players, new players and the media and they see that we don’t care enough to keep things in order.”
Omar Berrada (left) will start as general manager on July 13, while Jason Wilcox (right) has joined the club as technical director
Ratcliffe, who joined the club last year after purchasing a £1.25bn stake in the club, has been revamping United’s executive team off the field with the help of Ineos boss Sir Dave Brailsford.
Omar Berrada will start as chief executive this summer, replacing Richard Arnold, while John Murtough has also stepped down as director of football with Dan Ashworth as his replacement. Jason Wilcox has joined as technical director.
Mail Sport has contacted Manchester United for comment.
