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The British telecommunications company Vodafone has launched efforts to intensify its return to office (RTO) policy and threatens to withdraw bonuses for non-compliance.
According to The RegisterLast week, Vodafone reminded employees who are required to be in the office «2-3 days per week or at least eight days per month» of the guidelines and described the measures that will follow for non-compliance.
Thus, Vodafone’s letter stated that employees who ignore the policy (or who do not comply with the instructions) may be disciplined from the end of the first quarter. If an employee receives a written warning, it means that he or she does not meet the «minimum performance standards» and therefore will not be eligible for a bonus in 2026 or subsequent years.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, many companies around the world have sent employees to «telecommuting», but in recent years they have begun to introduce various policies for returning to the offices — in some cases The measures go to the point of absurdity and include means of tracking location.
Vodafone told The Register that its hybrid work policy remains the same as in 2021, when the company first allowed remote work in response to COVID-19. However, anonymous insiders told the publication that Vodafone has begun to step up efforts to get people to work in the office and «it is now mandatory».
Interestingly, in parallel, news has emerged that Vodafone is «reducing space in its offices in Newbury and Paddington, moving them to Spain, Romania, India and other countries» — reports that worry employees because the employer allegedly returns them to work without providing enough space and comfort.
Amazon had a similar situation, forcing its staff to work 5 days a week from the office in January, and soon postponed these measures in certain US cities due to the lack of properly prepared office space.