Ex-Man United chief ‘OPPOSED’ plans from Sir Jim Ratcliffe to stop staff working from home… before leaving Old Trafford as part of the club’s restructure
- Former United boss opposed INEOS’ plans to end home working
- He is said to be leaving the club as part of the restructuring at Old Trafford
- United will lay off a quarter of its workforce and cut up to 250 jobs
Manchester United’s former interim boss is said to have opposed Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS’ plans to stop staff working from home.
Ratcliffe reportedly asked United staff to come to the office or “find other work.”
The co-owner of the Red Devils wanted to abolish working from home and wanted to boost productivity behind the scenes. The British billionaire wanted to transform the club from top to bottom, on and off the field.
However, the measure was not popular with everyone, the Athletic that former interim director Patrick Stewart was against the plans.
Stewart replaced previous CEO Richard Arnold, but like his predecessor he ultimately became a casualty of INEOS’ restructuring.
Former interim chief executive Patrick Stewart opposed plans to end home working at Old Trafford before leaving the club by mutual consent at the end of the 2023-24 season
Sir Jim Ratcliffe wanted to make the change to increase the club’s productivity
Mail Sport reported in April that both Stewart and finance director Cliff Baty would step down by mutual agreement at the end of the 2023-24 season.
The Athletic report said that those unwilling to adapt to INEOS’s ways of working typically continue with the message: ‘You’re either in the middle of this and understand the mission or it’s not for you.’
At INEOS, they are sceptical about working from home and are used to ‘open-plan offices, which are designed to encourage collaboration between colleagues’.
Ratcliffe was also unimpressed that some staff were working a 9/80 schedule, where they worked 80 hours over nine working days, with every other Friday off.
Manchester United fly to Los Angeles on Wednesday for a pre-season tour of the United States at a time when redundancies are likely.
Employees were informed during a series of meetings on Tuesday about the departments and individuals at risk from a reorganization process that will result in the elimination of up to 250 jobs.
It is reported that staff members who will no longer be touring because they are at risk of losing their jobs were told the news last week.
United is said to be trying to deal with the difficult situation with as much empathy as possible. That was the message when interim CEO Jean-Claude Blanc confirmed the 250 job cuts at a staff meeting earlier this month.
Manchester United fly to Los Angeles on Wednesday morning for their pre-season tour
Their journey comes amid an ongoing redundancy process led by new co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
But inevitably the mood around United has been severely affected by the plans, which could save up to £10m a year to invest in football operations and infrastructure.
Stewart joined United in 2006 and has been interim CEO since Arnold stepped down in February, while Baty joined Old Trafford in 2016. They were key figures in managing Ratcliffe’s £1.3bn investment and the Ineos owner paid tribute to both executives.
“I would like to personally thank Patrick and Cliff for their support, helping us get to know the club and making us feel welcome. I respect their decision to now move on and put together a new management team for the club,” said Ratcliffe.
