Employees of Manchester United, the professional football club, are being offered an early bonus in exchange for their resignations. The Club had made it compulsory for staff members to return to office. The employees were then informed that if they do not wish to comply with the mandate, they should resign immediately, which will make them eligible for an early bonus. Even those employees who are working full time from the office have the option to resign and claim the bonus, which they would have otherwise received only later this year, in September.
Why is this an attractive offer? Well, the bonus may run into four figures for some employees. Therefore, the employees have been allowed time till 5 June 2024 to make an informed decision.
Clarifying that this is not a voluntary redundancy initiative, United has conveyed to the employees that working from office is necessary for success, and will be advantageous to the club on the whole. And because it understands and acknowledges the fact that not everyone may want to return to office full time, it is allowing employees a chance to quit.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is 27.7 per cent minority owner of the Club, has, in the past, admitted to the need to implement 100 per cent work-from office and a trimming of the workforce. He had disapproved of the excessive traffic on e-mail due to work-from-home.
Staff members have been told that office space is being created to accommodate everyone comfortably, in addition to the existing spaces in the stadium.
