Debenhams Group CEO orders staff back to the office full time

Finley has implemented a full-time working policy across the group, which owns brands including Boohoo, PrettyLittleThing and Karen Millen, as reported by The Times. He told the newspaper that Debenhams Group‘s 1,500-strong head office workforce should be in the office to “wear and test the clothes it produces” and collaborate with its teams. Drapers has reached out to Debenhams Group for further comment. The news follows in the footsteps of a raft of other fashion retailers, including John Lewis, Primark and Kering, which have also recently upped the required number of office days for employees and are cracking down on flexible working policies. Finley is spearheading a turnaround at Debenhams Group, which reported a 35% increase in adjusted EBITDA year on year to reach £53.3m for the year to 28 February 2026. Advertisement Debenhams Group’s revenue for the year fell 24.7% to £917m, reflecting the group’s transition towards a marketplace model, while gross merchandise value (GMV) before returns declined 21.6% to £1.82bn as the fashion retailer prioritised profitable sales. The group’s annual report, released on 19 June, also revealed that Finley’s total remuneration for the full year fell 85% year on year from £4.5m to £684,057. Finley’s pay package consisted of a £650,000 base salary, £1,557 in benefits and £32,500 in pension contributions. Have your say or a new account to join the discussion.