Meta calls staff back to office for three days - or else

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram parent Meta has warned staff that they must return to the office for at least three days a week or face the push, as the working from home phenomenon comes to an abrupt end.

The warning, issued by Meta head of people Lori Goler on internal platform Workplace that commencing, means that from September 5 employees assigned to office locations are required to be physically present for a minimum of three days a week.

According to a report by Business Insider, managers will oversee staff attendance by using badge data and the Status Tool, and will subsequently “engage” with employees who do not stick to the attendance requirements.

Goler emphasised that any actions taken would be in accordance with local regulations and company guidelines.
In more severe instances, repeated breaches could result in disciplinary action, such as reducing the employee’s performance rating, and in persistent cases, even termination. She added: “Accountability will be central to making this fair and effective.”

In March, Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg claimed that engineers who had joined before the pandemic and worked in the traditional office environment showed better performance compared to remote workers who joined during the pandemic.

In June, Meta made it obligatory for all employees to be present for three days each week.

A spokesperson said: “We believe that distributed work will continue to be important in the future, particularly as our technology improves.

“In the near term, our in-person focus is designed to support a strong, valuable experience for our people who have chosen to work from the office, and we’re being thoughtful and intentional about where we invest in remote work.”
Remote employees remained unaffected by this decision.

Nearly all marketing businesses now require staff to go into work at least two days a week, a far cry from the height of the pandemic when working from home became the norm.