Return to office
Publicis is requiring employees to come back three days a week beginning in January, Sadoun confirmed. Starting in 2024, employees are expected to be in the office on Mondays and should not work two consecutive days at home.
Sadoun, who in 2020 said Publicis will never become a “Zoom company,” said that productivity isn’t the only factor that played into this decision.
“If you look at any kind of studies, they will all tell you that if you over-index on remote working, you’re going to lose in terms of collaboration, you're going to lose in terms of creativity, you’re going to lose in terms of innovation, which is so important for a company like ours,” Sadoun said, reiterating that most of Publicis’ companies have already gone back into the office regularly.
Look back: Publicis digital unit mandates three days in office
BBH employees in the U.K., for example, are going into the office four days a week, and some production companies are choosing to be in five days a week, he said.
“We want people to understand that we are a people business before anything else. And being able to work together in the same place is how you create the level of innovation that a client is asking for,” Sadoun said. “By the way, clients, in most cases, are already back in the office.”
Sadoun also addressed the current war in Israel, following a terrorist attack by Hamas over the weekend. Sadoun said the company hasn’t seen any pullback from clients since the recent events. Publicis is focused on taking care of its 450 employees in Israel, dozens of whom have been called upon to serve by the Israeli Army, he said.