PwC to Track Employee Location Data to Enforce Return-to-Office Policy
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) has announced a new policy for its UK employees that will track their work locations in an effort to reinforce its return-to-office guidelines. Starting January 1, PwC staff will be required to spend at least three days a week working in the office or at client sites, as part of a push to reduce the current work-from-home trend.
In a memo sent to its 26,000 UK employees, the accounting firm highlighted the importance of face-to-face interactions in building relationships and fostering a learning environment. While PwC previously allowed employees to be in the office two to three days a week, the new policy formalizes a minimum of three days, aiming to bring more clarity and consistency to its hybrid working model.
“Our business thrives on strong relationships – and those are almost always more easily built and sustained face-to-face,” the memo read. PwC emphasized that the change will help create a more collaborative work environment, benefiting both client relations and employee development.
To ensure compliance, PwC plans to share employees’ individual working location data on a monthly basis, similar to how it tracks other metrics like chargeable hours. The company stated that the data would be used to fairly apply the policy across all teams. If discrepancies arise, PwC will first seek to understand the reasons behind any breach of the guidelines.
PwC’s move comes as part of a broader trend among global companies encouraging employees to return to the office following the work-from-home shift triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic. Other major firms, including IBM, Amazon, and Meta, have introduced similar measures.
Laura Hinton, managing partner at PwC UK, underscored the importance of in-person collaboration, stating, “Face-to-face working is hugely important to a people business like ours… This feels right for our business and right for our people.”
As hybrid working continues to evolve, PwC and other companies are seeking a balance between flexibility and the need for in-person collaboration to drive success.
