- Vodafone employees have been reminded to be in office 8 days per month
- Company policy has been in place since the pandemic, but enforcement is being ramped up
- Many other tech firms have removed flexible or hybrid work policies
Vodafone employees have been warned must spend at least 8 days per month in-office, or face missing out on bonuses and other perks.
Workers were sent a “Hybrid Working at Vodafone” memo, seen by The Register which outlined the policy and told staff that they could face disciplinary action if these guidelines are not followed.
Vodafone’s policy still allows workers some flexibility, as employees are expected to be in office 2-3 times per week, but can work from home on the remaining days – and workers are advised to attend team days to “help teach members to form a pattern”.
Hybrid policies
“Employees who are not fully compliant with our hybrid working policy by the end of Q1 may be subject to disciplinary action in line with policy,” the memo says.
“Continued non-compliance with attendance expectations could result in a final written warning, which would mean individuals are not meeting the minimum performance standards and therefore would not be eligible for a bonus in 2026 or in subsequent years in which a final warning is given.”
Vodafone passed on a statement, confirming that the memo was a reinforcement of an existing policy.
“Vodafone’s hybrid working policy has been in place since 2021, with all employees expected to be in the office 2-3 times a week, or at least 8 days a month,” the company said. “This allows flexibility for staff, and for them to benefit from in-office collaboration.”
Vodafone is not the first to enforce a policy like this, with firms like Dell opting for one step further and ending hybrid work altogether, putting in full-time return-to-office orders.
This is despite the fact that studies have shown nearly all of us are much more productive when we work from homewith 50% of leaders introducing flexible working styles, and 82% planning to continue this.
Firms such as Amazon are enforcing return to office orders, despite almost all staff unhappy with the policywith 73% of employees responding this made them consider moving jobs.