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BlackRock recalls top managers to the office five days a week

According to the Financial Times, the asset management giant has decided to further strengthen its labour policy in the presence of

8 May 2025

2' min read

BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager with $11.6 trillion under management, will ask some 1,000 managing directors globally to return to the office full-time, five days out of five. The news, anticipated by the Financial Times, represents a new sign of the tightening of flexible working policies in the US financial sector.

The decision, which could be officially announced as early as today, aims to strengthen internal collaboration and ensure that senior executives are physically present to lead teams and provide better customer service, according to sources close to the company. BlackRock, which is based in New York and employs about 22,000 people in more than 30 countries, declined to comment.

Already in 2023, the company had required employees to be in the office for at least four days a week, in line with other Wall Street giants eager to see greater participation. However, the new measure marks a further tightening, one that is bound to cause discontent among managers who had become accustomed to working remotely one day a week. More junior employees, on the other hand, will continue to be able to benefit from one day of smart working.

CEO Larry Fink has repeatedly expressed concern about the negative effects of working from home on corporate culture, a position shared by other Wall Street leaders.

The asset manager aligns itself with other large US financial services groups, such as JPMorgan, which have already mandated full-time office hours for their managing directors. Other banking giants, including Goldman Sachs, have also taken similar measures, requiring the physical presence of staff for the entire working week.

Since the end of the pandemic, many companies have retained hybrid or flexible formulas, but some of the major global players - including Amazon - have chosen to reintroduce the obligation to work in attendance five days out of five.