Confirmed: Return to Office or Risk Losing Promotion

November 02, 2022 at 08:00 AM EDT

74% of managers will factor office attendance into employee performance reviews, new Capterra research reveals. Employees risk salary and benefits cuts if they don’t adhere to in-person office policies.

With a recession looming, companies have the upper hand in the fight for a return to the office (RTO). In Capterra’s Return to Office Survey of 525 managers at companies requiring in-office days at least once per week, 46% say they've already cut or plan to cut pay or benefits for noncompliance, while 27% have gone as far as firing an employee this year because of poor office attendance.

Employees successfully skirting attendance policies might be surprised when it comes time for annual reviews. When asked what percentage of their team/department they estimate is fully compliant with the office attendance policy, only 42% of managers reported full-team compliance. With 74% of managers factoring attendance in performance reviews, many workers shouldn’t expect raises or promotions if they aren’t following new rules.

Workforce resistance to office attendance requirements has been stiff. Among managers at companies that have implemented office attendance requirements in the second half of 2022, 76% say there has been at least some pushback on the policy. That’s 95% higher than in 2021, indicating a significant disconnect with employees.

Large businesses are seeing lower compliance. Capterra’s Return to Office Survey reveals an 11 percentage point difference between attendance compliance for small (<100 employees) and large (>1,000 employees) businesses—92% and 81%, respectively. Another surprising point is that employees are more likely to break the rules when RTO requirements are more relaxed (e.g., expected to work in the office once per week).

“If employers are set on getting employees in the office more often, the threat of getting a bad review, losing their benefits, or being out of a job will undoubtedly motivate employees to comply,” says Brian Westfall, principal HR analyst at Capterra. “That being said, employers aren’t in the clear. If attendance requirements are too strict, too punishing, or poorly rationalized, companies could quickly lose top talent to competitors who are more accommodating.”

Managers should practice what they preach when implementing RTO policies. Employees notice when companies require workers to come in everyday while allowing top executives to work remotely. Hypocritical policies can create resentment within an organization and lead to losing top talent.

To research tools and discover more resources to help get your workers into the office without alienating them, visit Capterra.com.

About Capterra

Capterra is the leading software reviews and selection platform that connects businesses to the right technology. Compare software, read and leave reviews, and access objective insights that empower business growth. For more information, visit Capterra.com.