UK advertising group WPP has become the latest global company to put pressure on employees to make a return to the office, with an internal memo informing staff they will be required to attend the office four days a week starting in April.

The memo, which was first published by the Business Insider following reports by the Financial Times, was emailed the holdco's 114,000 employees internationally.

"Across everything we do, our success still relies on the fundamentals of human connection, creativity and relationships. Teams of talented individuals, working towards common goals, are what drives growth for our clients and our agencies. I believe that we do our best work when we are together in person," wrote CEO Mark Read.

He continued: "The data from across WPP agencies shows that higher levels of office attendance are associated with stronger employee engagement, improved client survey scores and better financial performance. More of our clients are moving in this direction and expecting it of the teams who work with them. For all these reasons, spending more time together is important to all of us, and we are making a change to help that happen."

The shift makes WPP the first local holding company to mandate "an average of four days a week in the office" post Covid pandemic, with Publicis, Omnicom and IPG currently requiring staff come in three days a week.

However, Read said the company will hold onto the "spirit of flexibility and trust" and intends to approach the change with "pragmatism and an understanding of people's different circumstances".

"There will be a clear process to request additional flexibility - including for those with caring responsibilities, health issues and other considerations. Some roles that have always been fully or largely remote will continue as they are," he wrote.

The policy will come into play from April, giving staff time to make "adjustments to their routines and arrangements".

Locally, WPP has this month moved out of its Berry Street campus in North Sydney, where many of the group's agencies have resided for much of the past 25 years. The holding company has relocated to a new campus in Shelly Street in Barangaroo.