Three major banks cut working hours: how branch schedules will change.

Reduction of bank working hours

According to The Sun: Three major banks in the UK have decided to reduce the working hours of their branches starting this week.

The Lloyds Banking Group, which manages the brands Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland, is reducing hours in 757 branches across the country, starting from today, September 29.

This change, reported by The Sun, means that branches will open later and close earlier. This will result in a reduced time when customers can access personal banking services.

New working hours

• Weekday opening hours will change from 9:00 AM to 9:30 AM, and on Wednesdays - from 10:00 AM for staff training and development.
• Closing times, which currently vary between 4:30 PM and 5:00 PM, will now be standardized to a range between 3:30 PM and 4:30 PM.
• On Saturdays, branches will open at 9:30 AM instead of 9:00 AM, and will close either at 1:00 PM or 3:00 PM.

Such changes will mean that customers will lose up to 90 minutes of access to personal banking services each day.

The reduction in working hours is part of a broader trend in the banking sector, as more people switch to online banking.

This year, hundreds of branches have already closed, and new closures are planned for 2026.

Customers who use branch services are encouraged to check the new working hours before planning their visits.

“We are changing our branch opening hours to simplify and standardize them for our customers,” said a Lloyds representative.

“We offer more options for everyday banking than ever before - alongside our apps, customers can visit any Lloyds, Halifax, or Bank of Scotland branch and use banking services at their local post office or Banking Hub.”

Additional changes in banks

The reduction in working hours comes against the backdrop of hundreds of bank branches closing, as more customers switch to online banking.

NatWest, Halifax, Lloyds, and Bank of Scotland plan to close 97 branches next month, as well as 45 mobile banking services.

In October, 27 Halifax branches, 23 NatWest branches, and 32 Lloyds branches will close.

Additionally, last week Lloyds, Halifax, and Bank of Scotland announced the closure of 49 branches starting in January.

According to the consumer organization Which?, since January 2015, banks and building societies have closed over 6400 branches, averaging about 53 closures per month.

It is worth noting that Co-operative Bank announced in August plans to reduce working hours in some of its branches by three hours a day.

Banks and building societies continue to reduce the number of branches in response to changing consumer preferences.

These changes indicate a gradual reduction in physical banking services in favor of digital solutions, reflecting the new needs and habits of consumers. This trend is likely to continue in the coming years, impacting the banking infrastructure in the UK.