It’s getting harder to skirt RTO policies without employers noticing

A recent report by commercial real estate firm CBRE reveals that businesses are tightening their grip on return-to-office (RTO) compliance, marking a significant shift in workplace policies over the past five years. The study, which surveyed 184 companies, found that 69% of employers are actively tracking employee attendance in the office, a notable increase from just 45% last year. Additionally, the report indicates that 73% of firms believe their employees are adhering to the mandated in-office schedules, up from 61% the previous year. On average, companies are requiring employees to be in the office for 3.2 days a week, while actual attendance is around 2.9 days. For larger organizations with over 10,000 employees, the average drops to 2.5 days. The enforcement of in-office attendance has also surged, with the percentage of companies reporting stricter monitoring more than doubling from 17% last year to 37% this year. This emphasis on compliance aims to ensure that all employees are treated equally and that remote work is not being exploited. However, some workers have expressed concerns about the methods used to track attendance, likening them to micromanagement and an erosion of trust. Companies like Dell have reportedly monitored VPN usage and badge swipes, which has led to frustration among employees. Tech giants such as Amazon, Google, JPMorgan Chase, and Meta have also been noted for their tracking practices, while TikTok has introduced an app to monitor employee attendance. In a bid to enforce RTO compliance, some organizations have even indicated that failure to adhere to office policies could result in ineligibility for bonuses or promotions. Manish Kashyap, CBRE’s global president of leasing, commented on the evolving landscape, stating that companies are now implementing more structured policies that accommodate hybrid work while improving governance and oversight. Meanwhile, a number of firms are leveraging the flexibility of remote work, a trend that gained momentum during the pandemic, to attract and retain talent.