Citi's employees can work from anywhere for last two weeks of year

Citigroup told employees they can work from anywhere for the final two weeks of the year, as Chief Executive Officer Jane Fraser bucks a trend among rivals to get office workers back to their desks full time.

The move applies to those in hybrid roles, or those who already work remotely a couple of days a week, and workers were told they must stay in their country of employment to take advantage of the perk, according to people familiar with the matter. The bank gave staff a similar option in August.

A Citigroup spokeswoman confirmed the move. 

Fraser has offered most staffers the ability to work remotely at least part of the time on a permanent basis, with most Citigroup employees expected to be in the office three days a week. The CEO has said Wall Street's insistence on full-time office attendance feels dated, arguing in an interview with Fortune last month that workers will "vote with their feet" on such policies. 

Read more: The best benefit for 2023: A hybrid work schedule

"There is a lot of value that you get from being together and some more of the spontaneity from that and the collaboration, the apprenticeship," Fraser said at the time. Still, she said, "our junior bankers, they don't have to be in the office late at night if they're working on a deal. Once they've done the work collaborating together, they can do that at home. We know if they're doing a good job or not."

Fraser said most traders tend to work from the office five days a week, though they have the necessary technology to work from home if they need to attend a child's school play or run home at lunchtime to see their family. Meanwhile call-center staffers are spending more of their days at home, she said. 

"They'll be coming in if they need training," Fraser said. "If they're a poor performer, and they need some coaching from their manager," they can do that and then go back to working from home again, she said.