(July 30): Even as HSBC Holdings plc pushes staff to return to the office more often, the banking giant has been able to shut about a quarter of the floors in its current London headquarters.

That should help as HSBC plans to move its head office to a new location next year that’s roughly half the size of its tower in Canary Wharf, chief executive officer Georges Elhedery said on a conference call with journalists. The bank is planning to rely on other offices across the city in order to accommodate all its staffers in London, he said.

“The multiple locations in London will basically achieve what we need in terms of office space,” said Elhedery. “So therefore, all in all, we will have the appropriate office space for our footprint in London as the move progresses.”