The multinational professional services firm PwC has ramped up the monitoring of its UK employees’ office attendance, a national newspaper has reported, using a dashboard that allows senior partners to track pass swipes and wifi connections.
The increase in employee monitoring has triggered unease among PwC staff over how they are tracked, two people at the firm told the Financial Times in an article published on Wednesday (13 August).
A senior staff member mentioned that they had “lost count” of how many colleagues at the accounting and consulting firm had raised concerns. Another employee indicated that staff members were seeking more transparency as the firm started “pushing hard” for increased attendance.
Where individuals are flagged and possibly penalised for their performance, without understanding the reason behind the absence, there will be fear-based compliance, Karl Bennett, wellbeing adviser at employee wellbeing and health benefits provider Perkbox Vivup, told HR magazine.
“People can feel like every aspect of their presenteeism is being monitored, including the amount of time they are active on their computer or the number of hours actively engaged in work-related topics. It leads people to believe that their time is a currency for performance rather than performance itself.”
Morale dips, especially when attendance targets don’t reflect the individual’s roles, health needs, or personal circumstances around responsibilities outside of work, Bennett explained.
In September 2024, PwC informed its UK staff that it would monitor their office attendance similarly to how it tracks billable hours. Employees are required to work in the office or at a client site for at least three days a week.
When carried out correctly, employee monitoring can help employers enforce workplace attendance more consistently, Stephen Simpson, principal HR strategy and practice editor at HR consultancy Brightmine, told HR magazine.
“HR plays a key role in ensuring it’s done fairly, which comes down to clear communication”, Simpson added. “This means explaining what data is being collected, why it is needed and how it will be used”, he explained.
Leaders of PwC introduced a dashboard for supervisors to track attendance in April 2025. Staff members are reportedly marked as “amber” if their office attendance falls below 60%, and as “red” if it dips below 40%.
Where employees are being monitored at work, employers must ensure that trust is not undermined, explained Terry Lees, people and change lead at people and risk management firm NFP. Speaking to HR magazine, he said: “Building trust with teams is a critical ingredient in creating a productive, engaging and performance-focused environment. This can quickly be undermined or eroded by implementing employee monitoring systems.
“Address this issue through positive line management and effective leadership. Developing positive relationships, focused on connection with employees, enables us to understand the conditions that they need to perform at their best. Equally, this brings an opportunity to support employees with coaching or development, and removes any barriers to performance that may exist.”
Employees often worry about privacy, so clear communication on what is being monitored is key to alleviate this worry, Simpson continued. HR professionals should involve staff in consultations before implementing monitoring, and emphasise how these tools can support wellbeing, not undermine it, by preventing excessive workloads or burnout, Simpson explained.
Source – https://www.hrmagazine.co.uk/content/news/how-hr-can-ensure-staff-monitoring-is-fair-and-effective