PwC has stepped up the monitoring of its UK employees’ office attendance with a dashboard that allows senior partners to track pass swipes and WiFi connections, sparking concern from some staff.
The increased scrutiny has triggered unease among some staff over how they are tracked, two people at the firm told the Financial Times.
One senior staff member said they had “lost count” of the number of colleagues at the accounting and consulting firm who had raised concerns. Another person said employees had sought more transparency as the firm began “pushing hard” to increase attendance.
PwC told its UK staff last September that it would monitor their office attendance like it did billable hours and require them to work in the office or at a client site at least three days a week.
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Staff who breach the policy can face formal sanctions, with their performance evaluations and bonuses potentially affected, according to guidance for staff seen by the FT.
Staff show up as “amber” on the dashboard, which first went live for supervisors in April, if they dip below 60 per cent office attendance, and “red” if they fall below 40 per cent, according to the guidance.
Attendance data can be accessed by business unit leaders and chief financial, administrative and people officers. Staff can also access their own data via the dashboard.
The system traces laptop WiFi connections to check whether employees are working at client sites on the days they say they are, the policy documents state. The firm also cross-references this information with data from HR platform Workday and employees’ time sheets.
Staff who are unable to meet the in-office quota for reasons including sickness or family issues can seek allowances, said a person close to the firm.
PwC’s rival EY early last year started using swipe card data to monitor office entries, while Deloitte has maintained a more flexible policy.
PwC UK’s chief people officer, Phillippa O’Connor, told staff in a video in December that she was aware of concerns over whether monitoring workers’ office attendance was consistent with the firm’s mantra of “trust” and “empowerment”, according to a transcript seen by the FT.
Monitoring attendance “aims to address persistent and deliberate non-compliance”, O’Connor added in the video. “It is not designed to penalise anyone for the occasional times when life events and unforeseen circumstances mean you aren’t able to come to the office as planned.”
PwC said there were “clear benefits to in-person work” that have been “borne out since adjusting our approach to hybrid working”, adding: “Our approach is consistent with other businesses and is recognised and accepted by the vast majority of our people.”
“We always listen to feedback and are committed to regular, clear and transparent communications about expectations,” the firm said, adding that it remains “committed to flexibility”, including early Friday finishes for six weeks over summer.
“Our dashboard ensures our people have easy access to their attendance data, so they can manage and plan their time in a way that works for them, our teams and our clients.” - Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025
