Citi Staff Returns to 21 Offices Across North America, CFO Says

(Bloomberg) -- Citigroup Inc. has invited staff back to 21 offices across North America, Chief Financial Officer Mark Mason said. 

At those sites, 75% of employees have returned, Mason told journalists on a conference call Thursday. That contrasts with Asia, where just 24% of employees are working from a Citigroup office, he said. 

“This really needs to be driven by the data,” Mason said. “There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to this.”

The finance chief is eyeing “every single expense line” at the bank and looking for opportunities where it can save money or become more efficient. As part of those efforts, Citigroup has been moving employees to and hiring staff in lower-cost locations around the world, along with shrinking its office footprint. 

Citigroup has designated employees’ roles as “hybrid,” “resident” or “remote,” depending on how often the firm believes a certain department or organization needs to be in the office, Mason said. 

“We do believe that we’re better when we’re together,” he said. “We’re trying to be thoughtful about this and very respectful of what the medical information and data is telling us.” 

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