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Pablo is leaving its Shoreditch office and will be donating a large sum of the resulting savings in rent overheads to housing and homelessness charity Shelter.

The agency said it has opted to veer away from its office-oriented working model in favour of finding innovative ways to improve remote working practices for the long term. In light of this, Pablo has rented a “team room” in Farringdon, enabling small groups to work together where appropriate to complement remote working. However, it has said it is likely to find another office in 2021.

“It’s really important we do our bit,” Gareth Mercer, founding partner at Pablo, said. 

“Having worked hard to make a success of remote working, Pablo is doing really well but there are others that are not and if by giving up our home, we can help others who are desperately in need of one, then at least we can feel we are making a positive contribution at a time when it’s critically needed."

Mercer added that Pablo’s partnership with Shelter gives clients an insight into the agency’s post-pandemic culture.

Andy Harris, director of fundraising at Shelter, said: “We know that lots of companies are looking at how best to use their space and some will be thinking of downsizing or moving to full remote working. 

“Pablo’s decision to donate some of the savings they are making to help fight bad housing and homelessness could not have come at a better time, as the housing emergency looks set to worsen in the aftermath of the pandemic." 

Harris added: “We hope other companies who are changing the way they work are able to take inspiration from this brilliant initiative.”

Pablo has also committed to more structured training and development programmes for younger employees who may feel that their development has been halted during Covid-19, as well as one-on-one mentoring programmes conducted by members of management.

In a bid to maintain staff morale, the agency will be organising a calendar of social events, which members of the team can participate in when permitted by government guidelines.

Shelter has released a series of ads through the years, including 2013’s “House of their own”, 2015's “Bank of mum and dad” and 2018 Christmas ad “#DuvetKnowItsChristmas”, which was supported by Twitter.