WPP offers free Friday lunches to lure staff back to office

WPP is offering free Friday lunches to encourage employees to return to the office, as part of a new return-to-office policy rolled out this month.

The advertising giant has begun laying on meals for staff on Fridays in a bid to soften the blow of a stricter hybrid working mandate, announced by chief executive Mark Read in January.

From April, WPP’s 108,000-strong global workforce is required to spend at least four days a week in the office, including at least two Fridays each month. The new rules apply to most roles across the group, with some exceptions for fully remote positions.

The company’s decision has sparked backlash from employees, who mounted a protest including an online petition calling for a rethink of what they described as a "rigid" policy.

The initiative to serve Friday lunches was introduced on the UK campuses this month as part of efforts to enhance the on-campus experience. At WPP’s headquarters on London’s South Bank last week, the menu included beef ragu, garlic bread and a spring salad—as reported by The Sunday Times.

WPP declined to comment. 

In his January memo to staff, Read defended the shift to more in-person working, citing improved outcomes across the business.

“Spending more time together is important to all of us, and we are making a change to help that happen,” he wrote. “From the beginning of April this year, the expectation across WPP will be that most of us spend an average of four days a week in the office.”

Acknowledging concerns around flexibility, Read added, “This doesn’t mean we’re going back to old ways of doing things. During the pandemic we all learned the value of greater flexibility in our working lives and of being trusted to balance work and personal commitments. We need to keep that spirit of flexibility and trust, and will approach this transition with pragmatism and an understanding of people’s different circumstances. There will be a clear process to request additional flexibility—including for those with caring responsibilities, health issues, and other considerations. Some roles that have always been fully or largely remote will continue as they are.”

He also pointed to data supporting the benefits of in-office work: “The data from across WPP agencies shows that higher levels of office attendance are associated with stronger employee engagement, improved client survey scores and better financial performance. More of our clients are moving in this direction and expecting it of the teams who work with them.”

Responding to criticism in January, Read told Campaign sister title PRWeek that the policy was in line with client demands and would be good for employee careers in the longer run.

He said: “Listen, I know for some people this is going to be a change, but we are going to introduce this new policy co-operatively. It doesn’t come in until April and we’ll use that time to talk to our people about how to implement it carefully and pragmatically. We appreciate that many people have responsibilities such as dropping their kids at school or caring for an elderly relative, and we’re going to continue much of the flexibility we’ve experienced over the last few years. That said, with many of our clients in the office three, four, and increasingly five days a week, we think this is the right move for the long-term success of the company and people’s careers.”

WPP is not alone in facing pushback over return-to-office mandates, as employers across a range of sectors try to strike a balance between post-pandemic flexibility and traditional working models.

WPP's global headcount stood at 114,000 at the end of 2023 but dropped to 108,000 at end of 2024.