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Digital Bank Most Valuable In Brazil Faces Internal Crisis After Announcing That, Starting In July 2026, 70% Of The Team Will Have To Go To The Office At Least 2 Times A Week, Increasing Presence To 3 Days In 2027; Dismissals For Just Cause, Warnings And Office Expansion Mark The Transition
The Nubank, which recently established itself as the most valuable company in Brazil, is going through a moment of internal tension after announcing the end of the work model that was almost 100% in home office. As a direct consequence of the reaction from part of the team to the new rules, the digital bank confirmed the dismissal of 12 employees last Friday (11/7). The dismissals came after a meeting marked by criticism, harsh comments, and episodes considered disrespectful by management.
The information was disclosed by the portal Metrópoles, which detailed the change in the work model and how the company conducted the transition to the hybrid format. According to reports, the internal announcement triggered an immediate reaction and exposed the clash between the culture established during the almost total home office period and the new leadership guidelines.
From Almost Total Home Office To Hybrid: What The New Routine At Nubank Will Look Like
According to the company itself, the change will be gradual but profound. Starting from July 1, 2026, at least 70% of employees at Nubank will have to attend the office two days a week. Subsequently, the policy will become even stricter: the number of mandatory days in the office will increase to three days a week starting January 1, 2027.
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Currently, the reality is quite different. Today, employees of the digital bank go to the office only for one week per quarter, in a model heavily based on remote work. Therefore, the change has been perceived internally as a significant shift in the work culture, directly impacting those who have structured their work around remote operations.
This policy change had already been hinted at in an email signed by Nubank’s CEO, David Vélez. In the message sent to the team, the executive admitted that the company was aware that there could be a “disruption for some employees” with the new work format. Nevertheless, he emphasized that leadership considered physical presence in strategic offices crucial for the next phase of the institution’s growth.
Meeting With 7,000 Employees, Tension On Zoom And Dismissal Of 12 People
Despite the prior warning, it was in the meeting last Thursday (11/6) that the conflict became evident. Nubank organized a large internal gathering attended by about 7,000 of the 9,500 employees in the company. Most of the team attended the event remotely, via Zoom, which already reflects the current work organization model.
During the meeting, some employees reacted harshly to the change in the work format. The meeting was marked by moments of heightened tension, with aggressive language and even insults among participants. This type of behavior, according to the company, exceeded the limits of what is considered acceptable in a corporate environment, even in a context of disagreement with strategic decisions from leadership.
As a result, the incident was reported to the Nubank Conduct Committee, the internal body responsible for assessing potential violations of the institution’s behavior policies. After analyzing the case, the committee concluded that there were situations that justified stricter measures. The next day, a new message was sent to employees informing them of the dismissal of 12 people.
In the communication, Nubank described the decision as difficult but necessary. “It was a difficult decision, but we set a limit on what constitutes disrespect and aggression,” stated the internal message, making it clear that the bank intends to preserve spaces for debate but does not tolerate dissent turning into personal attacks or aggressive conduct.
According to the internal conduct body, the cases analyzed presented elements that justified dismissals for just cause, which draws attention due to the severity of the classification. In addition to the 12 dismissals, the digital bank reported that “many other employees will receive written warnings”, reinforcing that there was a range of disapproved behaviors with varying degrees of severity.
Employees Complain About Distance, Representativity And Impact Beyond The Southeast
Alongside disciplinary measures, dissatisfaction among some employees continued. In an internal discussion forum, some employees claimed that they live far from the cities where Nubank maintains physical offices and that they felt caught off guard by the announcement of the new work policy.
Furthermore, criticisms arose regarding the lack of representativity of people from outside the Southeast in the financial institution. According to these reports, the change in the work model would disproportionately affect those living outside São Paulo, where the company’s main physical structures are concentrated. From the perspective of some employees, requiring consistent presence in specific cities could create additional barriers for those who built their careers at the bank from more distant regions.
On the other hand, Nubank’s management claims that the new configuration was not designed to exclude professionals from other regions, but to reorganize work around strategic hubs, in a competitive environment where, according to leadership, in-person collaboration is gaining significance again. Nevertheless, the expressed discontent reveals a challenge regarding internal communication and change management in a company that has become a reference precisely for adopting flexible and digital models.
Expansion Of Offices And Global Hubs To Accommodate More In-Person Work
In response to concerns about infrastructure, Nubank informed employees that it intends to expand its network of physical offices to accommodate the increase in the number of people working in person. Currently, the company has two units in São Paulo, one in Mexico City, and another in Bogotá, Colombia.
In addition to traditional offices, the digital bank maintains three spaces focused on networking and training, known as “talent hubs”. They are located in Montevideo (Uruguay), Berlin (Germany), and Durham (USA). These locations serve as meeting points, training venues, and knowledge exchange hubs among globally distributed teams.
The expansion plan is ambitious. The company intends to open new offices in Campinas (SP), Belo Horizonte (MG), and Rio de Janeiro (RJ), strengthening its presence in Brazil. Abroad, there are projects to open units in Buenos Aires (Argentina), Washington (USA), Miami (USA), and Palo Alto (USA), consolidating the fintech’s presence in important international technology and finance markets.
With this expanded network, Nubank aims to create more options for in-person work locations to accommodate the hybrid policy that will take effect starting in 2026. At the same time, the strategy reinforces the image of the bank as a technology multinational, with teams spread across different countries but connected to relevant physical hubs.
Which Functions Remain Remote And What Nubank Says About The Case
Despite the shift towards the hybrid model, Nubank clarifies that some functions will continue to be performed remotely. According to the fintech, these are positions in which the nature of the work requires little or no interaction with other teams, thus not necessitating frequent presence in the office.
Among the mentioned positions are customer service professionals, investment professionals, ombudsman areas, data labelers, financial crime investigators, regulatory solutions professionals, and human resources professionals in specific scopes. For these groups, the logic of working remotely remains operationally sound.
Contacted by the Metrópoles newsroom, Nubank stated in a note that it “works to preserve open channels and rituals for free debate among its employees, but does not tolerate disrespect and violations of conduct”. The digital bank also reinforced its confidentiality policy, stating that it “does not comment on individual dismissal cases”.
Thus, the institution attempts to balance the defense of internal freedom of expression with the necessity of maintaining acceptable coexistence standards for a global corporate environment. At the same time, the company faces the challenge of implementing a new work model, transitioning from almost total home office to a hybrid format with up to three in-person days a week, amid intense debates about mobility, representativity, and organizational culture.
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