PwC Tightens Hybrid Work Policy, Tracks Employee Locations in Push for More Office Time
PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), one of the world’s largest accounting firms, is set to impose stricter measures on its hybrid work model for its UK-based employees. In a memo distributed to staff this week, the company announced it would begin tracking the locations where employees work starting January 1, 2024. The goal is to shift away from the current work-from-home culture and emphasize more in-person collaboration.
New office requirements for PwC employees
Under the updated policy, PwC’s 26,000 employees in the UK are required to spend at least three days per week, or 60% of their time, working in the office or with clients. While previous guidelines recommended between two to three days, the memo suggested that these instructions were not consistently followed.
“Our business thrives on strong relationships – and those are almost always more easily built and sustained face-to-face,” the memo stated. “By being physically together, we can offer our clients a differentiated experience and create the positive learning and coaching environment that is key to our success.”
Clarifying the hybrid work approach
PwC framed the move as an “adjustment” to its existing hybrid work strategy, reinforcing the importance of in-person collaboration. “We all benefit from the positive impact of a hybrid approach,” the memo continued. “But the previous guidance of at least two to three days a week was open to interpretation. This update aims to provide clarity around where and how we expect everyone to work.”
The company further noted that while many employees are already meeting the new expectations, others may need additional time to adjust. To ensure compliance, PwC will begin sharing individual working location data with employees on a monthly basis, starting in January 2024. This data will be used alongside other performance metrics, such as chargeable hours, to ensure the policy is applied uniformly across the organization.
Leadership’s perspective on the new policy
In a statement published online, Laura Hinton, PwC UK’s managing partner, underscored the importance of face-to-face interaction for client service and internal development. “Face-to-face working is hugely important to a people business like ours,” Hinton said. “The new policy tips the balance of our working week into being located alongside clients and colleagues. This feels right for our business and right for our people, given our focus on client service, coaching, and learning and development. At the same time, we continue to offer flexibility through hybrid working.”
When asked how the company would handle non-compliance, a PwC spokeswoman told CNN: “If the monthly data shows someone is consistently breaching the policy, we’d first want to understand the reasons why.”
Global shift away from remote work
PwC’s decision to track employee locations and push for more in-office work is part of a broader trend. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many global companies embraced hybrid work models, allowing employees to balance remote and in-office work. However, as businesses adapt to post-pandemic realities, several have started to require more in-person work.
In the US, companies such as IBM, UPS, Amazon, Meta, and even Zoom, the platform that helped drive the remote work revolution, have taken similar steps to bring workers back to the office. Earlier this year, IBM told its US-based managers to work in the office at least three days a week or face potential job loss.
Industry insights on hybrid work models
According to the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), the UK’s professional body for human resources, companies with hybrid work models have generally rated the performance of their remote employees positively. Claire McCartney, CIPD’s policy and practice manager, emphasized the importance of balancing flexibility with business needs.
“It makes good business sense for employees or teams to be together on certain specific days, rather than employers needing everyone in because they don’t trust people to be performing effectively remotely,” McCartney said. “Employers should be seeking to find a balance, where flexibility over where and when people work meets the needs of employees, without compromising the needs of the business.”
PwC’s new policy signals a commitment to finding that balance, even as the firm shifts more heavily toward in-person collaboration, believing it to be essential for long-term business success.
