A new remote working hub has been introduced in Douglas by Permanent TSB with the aim of allowing people working for the bank “to significantly reduce commuting times and achieve a greater work-life balance”.

It’s one of four hubs - the others being in Greystones, Maynooth and Dundalk - which are a part of a suite of measures being introduced by Permanent TSB following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Other new working arrangements that are being put in place will see employees allowed to work from home for up to three days a week; employees being able to compress their work week while remaining on a five-day salary by working additional hours over the course of four days; and job sharing to facilitate people who would benefit from a reduced working week.

Some measures already implemented include investment in technology to enable people to work from home, decentralised roles so those outside the greater Dublin area can avail of a wider range of roles not previously available to them, and video banking with customers.

Over 1,200 Permanent TSB colleagues, or around 50% of the bank’s total workforce, have applied for permanent flexible working arrangements.

Permanent TSB is also recruiting 180 new positions across both senior and graduate level in key growth areas, including; technology, business banking, risk management and data analytics.

The positions will support the rollout of the next phase of the bank’s digital and SME growth strategy.

The bank recently announced a further €50 million investment in its technology infrastructure and digital capability, in addition to its current €100 million multi-year investment programme.

Ger Mitchell, Permanent TSB’s Chief Human Resources Officer, said: “As we focus on our ambition of becoming Ireland’s best personal and small business bank and prepare for a significant expansion of our customer base over the coming years, we are growing our teams in key areas such as Technology, Business Banking, Risk Management and Data Analytics. This is an exciting time to be joining Permanent TSB as we embark on the next phase of the organisation’s evolution.” 

He continued: “As an Irish company with people and community at the heart of our approach, we recognise the enormous efforts that our people have made since the onset of the pandemic to consistently demonstrate their commitment to serving our customers and communities at a time of great difficulty and challenge.

“We are delighted to offer them flexibility in their working arrangements, which has been made possible by our significant ongoing investment in technology.

“It is clear that this flexibility is needed and we are confident that it will result in an even better service for our customers and an enhanced work-life balance for our people.”