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BOISE, Idaho – Idaho Trust Bank is taking strides to innovate the “work from office” culture of the banking business. In January 2022, after gathering internal and external research including employee feedback, the leadership at the bank rolled out its own hybrid work model called 4Work.

CEO and President Thomas Prohaska sees the shift to hybrid work as inevitable. “It’s been proven over the last two years that some jobs can successfully be done remotely and many people thrive working that way,” Prohaska said. “It seems foolish not to grow from the lessons learned during the pandemic about the future of work.” He believes other financial institutions will ultimately follow suit. How long it will be until that happens, however, is yet to be seen.

Idaho Trust Bank’s 4Work separates each position at the bank into one of four categories: essential work from office, work from office with home leave, hybrid work from office and flex from office. Approximately 40% of the work force is primarily designated to work from the bank’s branches and administrative offices. The other 60% have dedicated remote/in-office schedules. The bank expects 70% or more of the bank’s workforce will be working in the office on any given day while still allowing employees more flexibility in their schedules. 

Home leave allows employees who primarily work from the office the ability to work from home on pre-approved days to account for everyday life like having a child home from school, waiting for a repair or expecting a delivery. Hybrid employees have a set schedule of days they are in the office and days they are home, and flex employees primarily work remotely but with regular in-office check-ins to remain connected to other employees and the bank’s culture.

This hybrid work schedule does not affect the relationship-based service that Idaho Trust Bank is known for. “There’s nothing worse than walking into the lobby of a bank and it being empty. Idaho Trust branches are core to client relationships,” Joel Hickman, President of Idaho Trust Private Bank, noted. In the U.S. over 10,000 bank branches have been closed in the last decade while Idaho Trust Bank plans to continue expanding in the Treasure Valley.

According to Human Resources Officer Whitley Hawk, 4Work is a success. “Although the last 22 months have undoubtedly brought new challenges, taking the time to get feedback, listen to our employees and implement this change has brought about big dividends in the form of employee satisfaction and retention.”

“We place a very high value on employees.  We want to deliver to them the best work experience in banking,” Prohaska said. 

Interested in a career at Idaho Trust Bank? Check out our current openings.