Hybrid-loving bank Standard Chartered hired a new head of wellbeing and flexibility

As major banks called staff back to the office last year and ranted about the woes of work-from-home Friday, Standard Chartered was one of the few banks that stood firm with its hybrid policy. This year, it seems to be doubling down on flexibility.

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Standard Chartered hired Anna Seely in London late last month as its head of wellbeing and flexibility. She spent the last six years at tech consultancy Accenture, where she was a managing director, and has a background in psychology. 

Seely takes over from Rachel Plaistowe who was global head of wellbeing until November of last year. Plaistowe said on her LinkedIn that the role entailed "embedding wellbeing into the flow of work, building wellbeing-related skills, and reframing wellbeing as an enabler of sustainable high performance" for over 80,000 employees.

The flexibility element appears to be an extension of the role, but is in line with Standard Chartered's broader culture. CEO Bill Winters (who also works hybrid) famously said last year: “We work with adults. The adults can have an adult conversation with other adults and decide how they’re going to best manage their team."

Employees are generally offered 2 to 3 days at home per week, but that doesn't mean they take them. When we surveyed bankers on time spent in the office late last year, Standard Chartered staff said they spent 4.2 days per week away from home. 

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