• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
FinanceCitigroup

Citi’s Jane Fraser is bucking the RTO trend in the hope of poaching top talent from the likes of JPMorgan

By
Beatrice Nolan
Beatrice Nolan
Tech Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Beatrice Nolan
Beatrice Nolan
Tech Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
February 4, 2025, 12:20 PM ET
Jane Fraser in a purple suit sitting on a stage
Photographer: Paul Yeung/Bloomberg via Getty Images
  • Citigroup CEO Jane Fraser is maintaining a hybrid work policy despite a broader industry trend toward stricter return-to-office (RTO) mandates, reportedly positioning the bank’s flexibility as a competitive recruitment advantage.

Citigroup chief executive Jane Fraser is planning to keep hybrid work—despite a wider trend across the sector toward a return-to-office.

Recommended Video

Fraser told top executives during a quarterly call with the bank’s managing directors that she plans to continue to let most employees work remotely up to two days a week, the Financial Times reported. The majority of Citigroup’s employees work on a hybrid schedule with at least three days per week in the office and up to two days remotely.

On the call, Fraser reportedly said the flexible approach to in-person working could serve as a competitive advantage and be a recruitment tool to scoop up employees looking to leave competitors over more stringent RTO mandates. The comments follow earlier promises by the chief exec to stick to a hybrid work arrangement even after the COVID-19 pandemic.

Citigroup has tried to encourage workers to spend at least some of their time in the office. In its London Canary Wharf offices, the bank is investing in a range of amenities to entice its staff back in person.

Citi declined to comment on the record to Fortune.

A push toward RTO

Citi’s decision to stick with hybrid work bucks the trend of corporations reverting to fully in-person work.

Last month, JPMorgan Chase told employees that the bank would require workers to be back in person five days per week. JPMorgan executives noted at the time that the move could be unpopular with some employees. In 2024, Goldman Sachs has also had an official corporate policy of full-time office work.

Tech companies have also been ramping up their mandated office days.

In September, Amazon announced it would require all workers in the office full-time at the start of 2025. Dell has also said that all workers who live close to the office must return full-time.

Earlier this month, global ad giant WPP also issued a sweeping RTO mandate for its 114,000 staff, requiring them to return to the office four days per week starting in April. Previously, some WPP employees were working as little as one day a week in the office.

RTO mandates have also been popular with the Trump administration and Trump allies such as Elon Musk.

The Trump administration is requiring all U.S. federal employees to return to their desks five days a week, offering severance packages to those who refuse to obey the new mandate.

On average, employees tend to prefer a hybrid approach to office work. However, some studies have shown that returning to the office can help foster company culture and be beneficial for younger workers.

Strict RTO mandates have made some employees at least consider jumping ship. Several Amazon workers previously told Fortune that the strict return-to-office mandate meant they were looking for alternative jobs.

Join us at the Fortune Workplace Innovation Summit May 19–20, 2026, in Atlanta. The next era of workplace innovation is here—and the old playbook is being rewritten. At this exclusive, high-energy event, the world’s most innovative leaders will convene to explore how AI, humanity, and strategy converge to redefine, again, the future of work. Register now.
About the Author
By Beatrice NolanTech Reporter
Twitter icon

Beatrice Nolan is a tech reporter on Fortune’s AI team, covering artificial intelligence and emerging technologies and their impact on work, industry, and culture. She's based in Fortune's London office and holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of York. You can reach her securely via Signal at beatricenolan.08

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Finance

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
Fortune Secondary Logo
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Finance

picture of Bitcoin.
CryptoBitcoin
Bitcoin outperforms gold and stocks since beginning of Iran war
By Carlos GarciaMarch 11, 2026
6 hours ago
Trump gestures
EnergyOil
Trump says the U.S. will open its first new oil refinery in nearly 50 years as the U.S. military avoids bombing Iran’s oil infrastructure
By Jacqueline MunisMarch 11, 2026
7 hours ago
Personal FinanceLoans
Personal loan vs. personal line of credit: Which is best?
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 11, 2026
7 hours ago
Personal FinanceLoans
When is a personal loan a good idea?
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 11, 2026
7 hours ago
Personal FinanceLoans
How much can I get from a personal loan?
By Joseph HostetlerMarch 11, 2026
7 hours ago
gas prices
EnergyIran
Top economist says Iran war could trigger an economic ‘butterfly effect’—and keep inflation elevated for years
By Jake AngeloMarch 11, 2026
8 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
'This cannot be sustainable': The U.S. borrowed $50 billion a week for the past five months, the CBO says
By Eleanor PringleMarch 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Big Tech
Big tech has defeated everything for 30 years, but for the first time faces something it can't control: a jury
By Carolina Rossini and The ConversationMarch 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Future of Work
Shark Tank's Kevin O'Leary doesn't care if you work from your basement. He just wants to know if you can ‘execute’
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezMarch 10, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Washington state wants to keep employers from microchipping workers, before anyone even gets the idea
By Catherina GioinoMarch 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Citi CEO Jane Fraser swears by Warren Buffett's golden rule for dealing with conflict at work: 'Never, ever respond to that email in anger'
By Preston ForeMarch 10, 2026
1 day ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Retirees wait for the day they can sell their homes and cash in—but there's a secret Medicare 'trap' that could stop them in their tracks
By Sydney LakeMarch 11, 2026
19 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.