Standard Chartered's London office rendered unbearable by "strong smell"

Standard Chartered's London staff who want to work from home were encouraged to do so on Wednesday. This was not because the bank is in favour of more home working, but because of a terrible smell. 

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Sources at the bank say a smell of burning permeated one of the lower floors of the London office yesterday. As a result, a memo went out from the UK Crisis Management Working Group warning of a "strong smell" and stating that colleagues were "recommended to WFH."

The smell appears to have been the result of refurbishment work at Standard Chartered's Basinghall Avenue office. This began in 2023 and is due to finish by 2026. We reported previously that Standard Chartered's technology staff were already only working a day a week in the office as a result. The Wednesday memo stated that the bank had requested that all construction works "cease immediately." 

Standard Chartered declined to comment. However, it's understood that the terrible smell dissipated and that a subsequent memo was issued stating that the office was bearable again.

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