PwC has informed its employees that its new hybrid working policy will require them to record their work locations. It will require hybrid workers to spend at least 60% of their working time in the office or with clients.
Here, we consider PwC’s hybrid work policy, the impact it is likely to have, and the legal implications that employers should consider with respect to a hybrid working policy.
PwC Hybrid Working Policy
Earlier this month, PwC contacted its 26,000 employees to inform them of its new hybrid working policy. This will come into force in January 2025, imposing restrictions on employees with respect to working remotely. PwC’s hybrid work policy will increase the number of days employees need to spend in the office or with clients from two days to three.
This consequently means that hybrid workers should spend no more than two days each week working from home. This information will be closely monitored, with employees receiving copies of their individual working location data every month. The same information is to be shared with PwC career advisors.
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PwC’s managing director, Laura Hinton, explains that the firm’s new hybrid working policy puts greater value on face-to-face working. She says, “This feels right for our business and right for our people, given our focus on client service, coaching, and learning and development.”
PwC is not the first employer to introduce measures to monitor its hybrid workers. Earlier this year, EY commenced the use of office swipe cards to review how often employees enter the office. Moreover, an increasing number of employers are reducing the amount of time for which employees should be working remotely.
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Potential Impacts of PwC’s Hybrid Work Policy
There are conflicting opinions on the potential effects of PwC’s new hybrid working policy and others like it. Some believe that those favouring a remote workplace will resent requirements for increased office attendance. Implementing a new hybrid working policy without first addressing such employees’ concerns could potentially have a negative impact on employee morale, satisfaction, and retention.
At the same time, other employees may value the benefits of in-person work alongside remote working. An entirely remote workforce inevitably lacks the social elements of office working. Those who prefer to interact directly with colleagues and clients are likely to cherish the opportunity to escape the physical seclusion of a remote workplace.
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Director of people strategy at Cream HR, Katy Foster, says it will be important for PwC to ensure that a balance is maintained. “If the company culture is good and colleagues get on well with their teams, the benefits of face-to-face working have been seen”, she adds.
Daniel Wheatley of the University of Birmingham Business School has highlighted the significance of how a hybrid working policy is presented. According to him, the transition to hybrid working can work be smooth “if the focus is on generating benefits from collaborative activities and strengthening relationships between employees.”
On the other hand, Mr Wheatley warns against focusing exclusively on the monitoring of compulsory attendance and pushing agendas around employee visibility. Such an approach, he says, may result in presenteeism and a potential negative effect on productivity. “Employees [may] expend effort to resist organisational control such that they can retain a level of autonomy in their working routines,” he explains.
Key Considerations When Introducing a Hybrid Working Policy
It would seem, then, that employers have a lot to consider when deciding whether to introduce a hybrid working policy. Bringing a remote workforce back into the office and discontinuing solely remote workplaces certainly has its benefits. However, employers should be mindful of the negative effects which such a move may have on their hybrid workers and the business overall.
It will also be important for employers to include employees in the decision-making process. Consulting with employees in advance and conducting employee surveys to ascertain their views on working from home will foster an inclusive and considerate culture. Employees appreciate being valued and are more likely to react positively if they feel their opinions matter.
Legal Implications
A hybrid working policy will typically set out an employer’s stance on flexible working and working remotely. It will usually include rules regarding working from home, such as the frequency and/or circumstances in which employees may work remotely. A hybrid work policy should clarify the expectations of employees and any relevant conditions and exemptions.
Although employees do not have an automatic right to flexible working, they are entitled to request flexible working from the first day of their employment. Employers are obliged to consider all flexible working requests received. Moreover, they may only refuse such requests in specific circumstances, and employees can bring more flexible working requests in the future.
The introduction of a hybrid working policy may affect the number of flexible working requests received by an employer. If employees are happy with the new approach, the hybrid working policy may result in fewer flexible working requests. However, if the policy is too restrictive, employees may decide to request different flexible working arrangements for themselves.
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Employers must take care to ensure that their hybrid working policy does not constitute indirect discrimination. This may be the case if it contains requirements that, for instance, impact one gender over another or disadvantage workers with a specific disability.
In addition, employers have certain obligations with respect to their employees’ physical and mental health. Employers must provide employees with a safe working environment, which includes the remote workforce in the remote workplace. Employers should conduct risk assessments of the physical and remote workplaces and implement appropriate measures where necessary.
What Can Employees Do If Their Rights are Breached?
In the event that an employee’s rights are breached, the initial step should be to attempt to resolve the issue internally. They might consider raising their concerns with their line manager or their HR team and arranging a meeting to discuss the matter. Should this approach fail, employees may consider raising a formal grievance in accordance with their employer’s grievance policy.
Should all attempts to resolve matters internally prove unsuccessful, employees may choose to seek outside help. Taking the dispute to mediation or conciliation may provide an objective voice and enable employer and employee to appreciate each other’s perspectives. As a final resort, employees may decide to bring a claim against their employer in the Employment Tribunal.