PwC introduces ‘traffic light’ system to monitor UK staff attendance
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM — PwC, one of the United Kingdom’s leading accountancy firms, has stepped up monitoring of its employees’ office attendance in the UK by deploying a new system that tracks work pass swipes and laptop WiFi logons.
This approach aims to enforce the company’s policy requiring staff to spend at least three days a week, or around 60% of their time, either in the office or with clients.
Stricter hybrid work attendance system for UK workforce
The firm uses a dashboard displaying staff attendance categorized by a ‘traffic light’ system: employees who fall below the 60% attendance threshold are flagged as “amber,” while those dipping below 40% are marked “red.”
Supervisors have been using this system since April, and various business unit leaders and senior officers can access the data. Employees can also view their attendance data.
Attendance is tracked through swipes of work passes and WiFi connections logged by employees’ laptops, particularly to confirm presence at client sites when expected. This data is cross-referenced with timesheets and HR records, providing a comprehensive view of staff presence.
Staff reactions to increased workplace monitoring at PwC
The increased surveillance has raised unease among PwC’s approximately 23,000 UK employees. A senior staff member stated they had “lost count” of how many colleagues had expressed concerns over the monitoring, while others have called for more transparency.
PwC has warned employees breaching attendance rules might face formal sanctions impacting performance ratings and bonuses, although allowances are made for sickness or family reasons.
PwC’s Chief People Officer, Phillippa O’Connor, addressing the House of Lords committee in April, said the monitoring system was “not clocking people in and out” but was focused on “empowered flexibility.”
EY, Dell adopt similar workplace tracking measures
The monitoring policy was announced last September to begin in January, reflecting PwC’s push for “more emphasis on in-person working.” The company stated that there are “clear benefits to in-person work for both our people and clients” and described the approach as “consistent with other businesses” and largely accepted by staff.
This move follows similar strategies by rival firms such as EY, which has tracked office attendance through staff turnstile data since early last year to enforce hybrid working policies.
Dell also started tracking the on-site presence of hybrid employees using electronic badge swipes, VPN monitoring, and a color-coded rating system.
PwC also highlighted ongoing commitments to flexible work arrangements, including summer initiatives allowing employees to condense their hours and finish early on Fridays.
