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News comes after layoffs announced on Wednesday

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Other companies, US administration have scrapped home

working

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Novo employees can still make individual arrangements

COPENHAGEN, Sept 11 (Reuters) - Wegovy-maker Novo

Nordisk said on Thursday it had told all its staff to

return to the office as the drugmaker's new CEO tries to

accelerate decision-making and improve its commercial execution

amid intense competition in the obesity drug market.

Novo on Wednesday said it would cut 9,000 jobs after sales

growth had stalled and shares had slumped, knocking $450 billion

off the company's market cap since the middle of last year, as

it faces competition from U.S. rival Eli Lilly ( LLY ) and a

wave of compounded copycat drugs.

"This is designed to foster a stronger sense of belonging,

strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration and accelerate

decision-making processes," the company said in a statement.

The company declined to comment on what its previous

work-from-home policy was. According to Danish news agency

Ritzau, there were no general guidelines on working from home

prior to Thursday, and rules varied from one country and

department to another.

The chair of Danish trade union HK Privat, which organises

administrative staff and laboratory technicians at Novo Nordisk,

said he was surprised that Novo had discontinued its

work-from-home policy.

"Working from home and a vibrant office culture are not

necessarily mutually exclusive," Kim Jung Olsen said in a

statement.

"It is unfortunate for the many employees who have enjoyed

being able to work from home from time to time that management

has not managed to make this work at Novo Nordisk."

Novo's request comes after other companies have abandoned

work-from-home policies.

In January, JPMorgan Chase asked employees to return to the

office five days a week starting in March, while U.S. President

Donald Trump has ordered federal workers back to the office.

Amazon ( AMZN ) and others already asked staff to return to the office

late last year.

Novo said it would still be possible for employees to make

individual agreements with their managers, leaving some room for

flexibility to ensure that both personal and business needs were

met.