Vodafone: Be in the office 8 days a month or lose bonuses
- Reference: 1741607108
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/03/10/vodafone_be_in_the_office_memo/
- Source link:
Group UK employees were last week sent the “Hybrid Working at Vodafone” memo - seen by The Register - to highlight the policy and tell them to expect a year-end conversation with their line manager.
"You will have read in Get Ready for Year-End Conversations and a Hybrid Working Reminder [documents] that your line manager may discuss hybrid working with you as part of your year-end conversation.
Shove your office mandates, people still prefer working from home [1]READ MORE
"We therefore want to remind everyone of the Group UK Hybrid Working policy. It's essential that all employees adhere to the expectation of being in the office 2-3 times a week, or at least eight days a month," it states.
"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. 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."
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Line managers can ask team members to attend the office on a specific day if reasonable notice is given and are advised to set team days to "help teach members to form a pattern." Vodafone has operated a hybrid work policy since 2021 "following the pandemic."
[3]
[4]
Vodafone, which promotes how to "implement a remote working policy and overcome obstacles" in its [5]marketing material for customers , starts its new financial year on April 1, otherwise known as April Fools' Day.
Insiders told us that in the past six to nine months, Vodafone had encouraged people to come back. "It is now a mandate," said one.
[6]
"This is despite reducing office space at their offices in Newbury and Paddington, offshoring roles to Málaga [Spain], Romania, India, and other countries, and having some colleagues on legacy contracts based at home in the UK.
"This means that when you attend the office, most collaboration is spent on video calls with people in other offices around the world, or in the same office at different desks because there aren't enough meeting rooms."
The telco's UK operation, which is [7]merging with Three UK , insisted there is no change in corporate policy.
[8]
"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 eight days a month. This allows flexibility for staff, and for them to benefit from in-office collaboration."
It did not comment on the threat to bonuses or the mandate.
[9]HR expert says biz leaders scared RTO mandates lead to staff attrition
[10]'Return to Office' declared dead
[11]Videoconferencing fatigue is real, study finds
[12]WFH with privacy? 85% of Brit bosses snoop on staff
[13]Google's ex-CEO U-turns after saying staff 'going home early' killed winning
The memo confirms staff on home-based working or field-based working contracts do not need to comply with the eight-day policy.
For context, other tech vendors have insisted on getting staff back into the office even more frequently, including [14]Amazon and [15]Meta . There is some flexibility in Vodafone's model, though clearly not everyone is happy with it.
Last week it emerged that Google co-founder Sergei Brin dispatched a memo to engineers working on AI, saying they should expect to be in the office " [16]at least " every weekday as part of a hardcore 60-hour working week.
Studies have shown that there is [17]no discernible rise in productivity from demanding employees return to the office, though there are some that found people had [18]threatened to look for a new job in response, and it had an [19]impact on morale .
According to McKinsey research, [20]published in February , it polled thousands of employees in the US working in person, hybrid and more models who said their overall "work experience needs improvement."
"In fact, respondents across working models say their organizations are doing a poor job of supporting five core practices that drive performance and strengthen organizational health: collaboration, connectivity, innovation, mentorship, and skill development. Leaders frequently cite these practices as top reasons for getting their people back in the office."
Return-to-office mandates boost company profits? Nope [21]READ MORE
McKinsey found a "surge in RTO" (return to office) in 2023 and 2024. "We tested the perceptions of employees who work mostly in person, hybrid, or mostly remote, as well as the relationship between the working model and certain outcomes related to productivity.
"The results show that there is no clear winner when it comes to a working model that provides a high level of employee experience and productivity. In-person, remote, and hybrid workers all report mostly similar levels of intent to quit, burnout, effort, and satisfaction.
"This pattern largely holds true regardless of gender, though there are slight differences across generations and caregiving status." ®
Get our [22]Tech Resources
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/15/shove_your_mandates_people_still/
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2Z88atc-50EBNIS38RKvFmQAAAYk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z88atc-50EBNIS38RKvFmQAAAYk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z88atc-50EBNIS38RKvFmQAAAYk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.vodafone.co.uk/business/sme-business/small-business-advice/work-from-anywhere-model
[6] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44Z88atc-50EBNIS38RKvFmQAAAYk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/14/vodathree_name_postmerger_top_team/
[8] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_onprem/networks&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33Z88atc-50EBNIS38RKvFmQAAAYk&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2024/05/16/hr_say_biz_leaders_scared_rto/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2023/12/03/return_to_office/
[11] https://www.theregister.com/2023/11/27/videoconferencing_fatigue_is_real_study/
[12] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/30/forget_the_idea_of_wfh/
[13] https://www.theregister.com/2024/08/15/googles_exceo_steps_back_from/
[14] https://www.theregister.com/2023/02/20/amazon_mandates_return_to_office/
[15] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/02/meta_return_to_office_mandate/
[16] https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/27/technology/google-sergey-brin-return-to-office.html
[17] https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/26/commute_work_psychologist_study/
[18] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/21/proximity_bias_workforce_productivity/
[19] https://www.theregister.com/2023/06/12/wfh_mandates_bad_for_staff/
[20] https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/people-and-organizational-performance/our-insights/returning-to-the-office-focus-more-on-practices-and-less-on-the-policy
[21] https://www.theregister.com/2024/02/02/return_to_office_mandates_do_not_boost_profits/
[22] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Re: Another place dead to me then.
One issue at Newbury is they've sold off part of the site and there are not enough desks. If this is just a box ticking thing then teams can plan their attendance so that there is desk space but if they want entire teams on site at the same time it is going to be a mess.
"they've sold off part of the site"
The most Kafka-esque implementaion of this I've encountered was a co. with a large open plan hot desking office on one floor. They leased half of it to another company but didn't put in any barriers so you had to guess where the boundary between the two lay. And this was a business processing sensitive data for government!
Re: "they've sold off part of the site"
The stupidity of the bean counters knows no bounds!
Re: Another place dead to me then.
Well, it's not just paying extra, it's the buildings and FM costs as well. And the berks at Voda did a sale and leaseback a couple of years ago, so somebody will now be looking to shaft Voda.
But I'm in two minds - not all and everything can be 100% remoted; eight days a month isn't that unreasonable, and if they're going to have rules then it's not unreasonable to enforce them if people are taking the proverbial. My experience is that if there's any leeway, then people will interpret the rules as entirely voluntary.
But I guess for anybody valuable enough to the business, then the office day mandate either doesn't apply, or will be interpreted differently, this seems to happen at most places.
Re: Another place dead to me then.
There isn't a one-size fits all solution and the "studies" cited were mainly self-selecting. Other "studies" have shown what we all know: some people are good at organising themselves and working independently, others less so. SWMBO as the boss works from home one day a week and is at her most productive then. But the other days in the office she's constantly interrupted by employees who need help and advice, many of whom prefer working in the office to being at home, despite long commutes.
I'm not saying this initiative isn't another poorly disguised attempt to get some employees to leave voluntarily, but the reporting has been pretty one-sided so far.
Re: Another place dead to me then.
" she's constantly interrupted by employees who need help and advice "
Isn't dealing with that a primary function of good management?
Re: Another place dead to me then.
Yes, within limits!
I am a senior developer, but for the past 2 weeks I have contributed 3 hours to my primary task. All the rest has been in meetings (mostly useful) or hand holding junior developers, who to be honest have no F*cking idea and do not learn, traipsing back with the same question, slightly reworded a day or two later. They are based in an Indian "Centre of Excellence" - the only thing they are excellent at is wasting EMEA staff members time!
The local Technical Lead would not get a job as a junior developer in EMEA. But Bean Counters think this arrangement is wonderful. Agh!
Be in the office 8 days a month
I at first misread that as Be in the office 8 days a week .
They're probably saving that for later.
Re: Be in the office 8 days a month
Refusal to facilitate spacetime alterations in order to ensure attendance and mission success will result in disciplinary action. High performers willing to show consistent engagement for 48 hours or more during a single 24-hour workday may be considered for 15 minutes unpaid leave from the Hellscape Time Loop
Re: Be in the office 8 days a month
They want them to be a Day Tripper quite frequently.
Re: Be in the office 8 days a month
It's called Haiku OS now.
Re: Be in the office 8 days a month
That's broadly what Google have mandated, no? "Be in the office *at least* every weekday" was the linked article.
Re: Be in the office 8 days a month
"I at first misread that as Be in the office 8 days a week."
Isn't that what Sergei Brin (Alphabet/Google) was referring to further down in this article? "...saying they should expect to be in the office "at least" every weekday as part of a hardcore 60-hour working week"
Another comms company that tells the world its comms arrangements aren't good enoug to support remote working.
Noted.
I've never forgiven them for shutting down Demon Internet...
Absolutely.
Although they were unable to actually manage DIS admin tasks[1]: they didn't so much shut it down as never maintain it until it just - stopped.
[1] I ended up with three DIS hostnames and fixed IP, one pair active at a time, because as a major telecomms company (!) they could never figure out how to change the landline 'phone number when I moved! So had to close each account[2] and start up a new one.
[2] And to top it off, when *they* told me that they had to shut down the first account, *they* then came back to say that it could not be shut down because it was a "company account". No. No, it was always a personal account. "What if just cancel my personal credit card so it won't be paid for any more?" "We'll keep it alive and just send out the bailiffs". Did they have a contact name for this company? Yup, my name. So I can cancel? No, it must come on company letterhead! Aaaargh.
I think the quality of their coverage and service told the world that years ago.
Vodafone support is terrible anyway - I'm unlucky enough having to deal with them, and they are brutal compared to Three when it comes to support
Be in the office 8 days a month or lose bonuses ?
Need to be in the office more than 4 days a month: lose me.
bye bye - don't let the door hit you on the way out...
It will ultimately limit their recruitment
In my line of work folk actively ask in recruitment phases what the hybrid / WFH policy is, as would I. Some days I'm back to back on Teams, well I'm at home for that thank you very much otherwise I'm off elsewhere
Re: It will ultimately limit their recruitment
As long as there are enough applicants they won't notice.
Why should they if employees are fungible? After all MBAs are.
Why the big push to RTO? Financially it makes no sense as it costs businesses more. The common sense approach would be to downsize the offices then schedule 1 day a week or fortnight people are in the office on a rota. That way you start scheduling around that for the things that require attendance. As for performance, if you can't measure performance when your staff are offsite then you can't measure it onsite either.
As we know though the economy doesn't work with common sense. Someone needs to rent all those expensive office building and buy expensive coffees and pastries near by. Then you have the related businesses such as cleaners, caterers, office supplies etc... That's the real reason for the RTO push. Who will win though? The employees who can change jobs or the employers who can make everywhere RTO.
Very few larger businesses will be in a position to make rapid changes to their stock of office space. In most cases those who owned their own buildings went for sale and leaseback to reduce the Capex side since that has all the depreciation which the beancounters see as a bad thing. Now they are leasing the offices they have very long leadtimes on making changes since the new owners have them on the hook and need to screw every penny they can before the bottom falls out of the office rental market.
Those few who do still own the buildings they work from are actually in a worse position since it can take years to sell such a building unless it can be partitioned into smaller units.
"expensive coffees and pastries near by"
Yes, I saw some "business development" person from somewhere on TV using this as the mean reason why people needed to RTO - "or else I won't get re-elected as everywhere will be shut down".
Re: "expensive coffees and pastries near by"
Years ago local TV was reporting some bod from Sheffield council bragging about bringing some big business project into the city. A few days later another bod from the same council was complaining about the difficulties of managing traffic in the city. Joined up thinking?
You're over thinking it
It gives them a full on robo chubby when they get to boss other people about. They know commuting is miserable and makes our work days 2 or 3 hours longer and knowing we hate it makes them happy.
It's literally that.
Pathetic.
"Someone needs to rent all those expensive office building and buy expensive coffees and pastries near by. Then you have the related businesses such as cleaners, caterers, office supplies etc..."
If those have to be supported by long commutes then they are unsustainable. TPTB need to realise that and the sooner the better. Those with net zero policies who actually mean them need to look at that aspect.
Sadly the UK sorta bet the farm on these service industries. You don't need to do much to train a cleaner or barista and commercial real estate has been a huge and reasonably passive money-maker for years.
Companies think you owe them something
Your time is not the company's to demand. They pay you for your life which is far more valuable than the salary you're paid.
They can request, but you can choose to walk instead.
I think Vodafone needs a "wake-up-call".
Call me a cynic
I work for a large telco company, not VF. I can tell you that the reasons for these policies are much more cynical. In short - they are a cheaper method of reducing the workforce without the need for payments to those exiting. This is a policy I have seen enacted in my company. It didn't really work. The high performing individuals all left, remaining people just engage in malicious compliance, go into the office, can't find a desk, spend the day chatting around the coffee machine, repeat. I was lucky enough to have a WFH contract, so I am an untouchable. Didn't stop them trying though.
No more pizza party guys
:(
Whats the alternative?
Perhaps one day we might have telephones that we can take with us when we aren't in the office - but for now we need to be close to the switchboard
Re: Whats the alternative?
Well this is the thing, isn't it? The more companies tell me that I'm apparently not able to work effectively at home, the more I'll demonstrate that during snow days, strikes, etc. "Nope, sorry, can't work from home, or answer that email outside of core hours anymore"
Predators
One thing is that it is much easier to do bullying and harassment in the office, because remote leaves more paper trail.
I always thought that the people behind RTO are the odd ones, you know the "team players" or the bullies looking for work "romance" using their position of power.
Other thing - again commercial property market is suffering, so the investors push companies to get bums on seats to artificially prop the value.
Another place dead to me then.
I'll take my 30 years experience elsewhere, thank you.
Currently working for a fully remote start up. They aren't paying me top dollar, but then since my commute is 0 minutes and I get to fit my work around my life, the uplift in quality is priceless.
Still if you really insist on paying your staff 20% extra to see them in the office, it's your own shareholders you are stiffing.