Research: Companies are stopping at nothing to get workers back to the office

For some months now, employers have been campaigning en masse for a return to in-office working. Some have already declared that they will not hesitate to take sanctions against those who do not come to the office enough in 2024, according to a recent US survey.

Currently, 79% of managers and executives questioned in a survey* by Resume Builder use various strategies to ensure that their employees come in to work on their company premises. Most of them (58%) measure their teams’ attendance times by their badges.

Everything suggests that bosses will continue to monitor the comings and goings of their staff next year. Some 88% of companies who will be asking their employees to come into the office at least one day a month in the coming months have declared their intention to monitor workers’ presence on site.

The majority of companies will have them clock in with their badges, while others will manually track their in-office days or check whether they are connected to the office Wi-Fi network. Some companies will manage the occupancy of workspaces on their premises by installing presence detectors, including under employees’ desks.

Carrot and stick

But Resume Builder’s survey reveals that employers are not content to simply track their employees to make sure they get to the office. They are planning to impose sanctions on those who fail to comply, up to and including dismissal. A third of those surveyed say they will dismiss employees who refuse to come to work on site when necessary.

Remote workers who don’t come into the office enough could also see their bonuses reduced, enjoy fewer benefits than their in-office colleagues, or see their salaries cut. Overall, almost all employees whose days on site will be monitored by their bosses in 2024 are likely to face consequences if they don’t visit their company’s premises enough.

While managers don’t hesitate to get tough to ensure their staff come into the office, they will also try to lure them back with perks. These incentives include “happy hours” (52%), hiring caterers to cook tasty meals for their employees (46%), or redesigning offices to make them more attractive (41%). Some are opting for back-to-work bonuses, or granting their employees financial assistance to reduce the cost of childcare.

Julia Toothacre, a specialist at Resume Builder, believes, however, that these “carrots” will not be enough to convince working people to visit their place of work more regularly.

“Companies need to provide Return To Office incentives, but happy hours aren’t it. Compensation is how to get people back to the office […]. It also seems like companies are not taking into consideration why employees like to work from home or have a flexible schedule […]. When you force people back into the office, you will likely lose amazing employees who had been thriving in their home environment,” she says in a statement.

*This research was carried out online by the Pollfish survey platform, on behalf of Resume Builder, among 800 respondents. Respondents were aged 25 and over, and held an executive or decision-making position in a company with at least 11 employees. – AFP Relaxnews