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HSBC plans 40% office space cut as Covid shifts bank to flexible working

Banks that are undertaking big transformations have seized on potential cost-savings presented by the Covid-19 pandemic

Cranes stand at Wood Wharf, a development by the Canary Wharf Group, beyond the HSBC building, in Canary Wharf, London. The bank is planning to reduce its real estate holdings by 40%
Cranes stand at Wood Wharf, a development by the Canary Wharf Group, beyond the HSBC building, in Canary Wharf, London. The bank is planning to reduce its real estate holdings by 40% Photo: Getty Images

HSBC is cutting its global office space by up to 40%, as the vast remote working programme over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic has forced banks to reassess how they do business.

The UK lender is making drastic cuts to its office space as the crisis has kept the majority of its workforce at home over the past year, its chief operating officer John Hinshaw said on 23 February in a presentation to analysts accompanying its annual results.

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