BANK OF IRELAND’S proposed change from fully remote to hybrid working has been referred to the Workplace Relations Commission for dispute resolution proceedings by the Financial Services Union.

The lender last month announced that staff at Bank of Ireland would be required to attend work in person eight days each month from September.

In addition to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) referral, the union has also written to report the level of engagement between staff and the bank to the Irish Banking Culture Board, an independent body to promote ethical behaviour in the sector.

Financial Services Union General Secretary John O’Connell claimed that “huge numbers” of staff are considering looking for a new role. He added that staff feel “frustrated, angry and ignored” by the bank’s bosses.

The union, which previously said the move was “short-sighted”, confirmed that the case was referred to the WRC this week. It claimed that Bank of Ireland has not addressed staff concerns.

A spokesperson for Bank of Ireland said that it has “communicated extensively” with staff about the changes. It added that, under the new arrangement, the hybrid model will be flexible and allow employees to work from one of its four offices or 14 work hubs.

The Bank of Ireland spokesperson said: “We are very confident the majority of our people see this as a very fair approach which balances personal working preferences with the needs of our customers, colleagues and the company as a whole.”