A recent report indicates a significant shift in the approach US Companies Plan to office attendance, with 80% of companies planning to monitor office attendance and 90% offering incentives for employees to work onsite. Badge swipes (62%), manual tracking (50%), Wi-Fi tracking (50%), occupancy sensors (43%), and desk sensors (38%) are among the methods slated for monitoring.
Julia Toothacre, a career coach at ResumeBuilder.com, expresses concerns over the heavy surveillance, predicting potential discontent among employees. Toothache suggests that employees seek workplaces where their contributions are valued over mere physical presence.
Employers are prioritizing office presence for productivity reasons and plan to entice employees with incentives such as happy hours (52%), catered meals (46%), and improved office spaces (41%). However, Toothache suggests broader benefits covering commuting, childcare, and attire expenses would be more appreciated.
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Despite employers’ beliefs that returning to the office will enhance work culture (63%) and reduce burnout (29%), Toothacre questions the alignment of these views with employee preferences, suggesting employers may be out of touch.
A notable finding is that 33% of companies threaten termination for non-compliance, while 53% consider salary reduction. Economist Selcuk Eren suggests that some companies may prefer voluntary attrition over layoffs amid concerns of a potential economic downturn.
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Younger workers, particularly Gen Z (up to age 27), seem more inclined to return to the office, with 5 out of 6 expressing a desire for at least three days onsite, per Generation Lab’s research. Matin Mirramezani, Generation Lab’s COO, suggests this generation values the opportunity for mentorship and camaraderie in the office.
While most companies initially require only monthly office visits (91%) or weekly onsite work (75%), Toothacre anticipates a gradual increase in office days over 2024 and beyond.
Overall, the trend indicates a push for office presence, with companies employing both monitoring measures and incentives to encourage employees to return, despite potential employee resistance and concerns over surveillance.
