ING Group has laid out a plan in which it will offer its employees in Spain complete flexibility to choose whether to work from home or office from September 2020.

The move comes after the three-month lockdown period imposed in the country due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Bloomberg has reported.

Last year, the group’s banking arm in Spain already tested this plan by conducting pilots. The lockdown served as a catalyst for the bank to make the final decision.

In a statement, the Amsterdam-based bank said: “This decision has been brewing since last year with pilot tests of different models of e-work in various teams.

“After analysing the results of the tests, ING has chosen a totally flexible option. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the bank has been able to try out the new model more quickly and prove that it works satisfactorily.”

ING serves nearly four million customers across 29 branches in Spain, the report added.

It has already adopted digital banking and plans to move its headquarters in Madrid after summer, which has been delayed due to the virus outbreak.

The bank said that the need for flexibility will change its day-to-day operations for improving efficiency and avoiding the work from home turning into a 24-hour working culture.

The bank will limit the meetings to not more than 45 minutes and they will happen between 10am and 4pm only, the report added.