Adding to the complexity and uncertainty around Vodafone’s newly strict RTO enforcement are claims of there being limited office space for employees. Vodafone is “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,” an anonymous worker told The Register.
The concerns echo those of employees from other large firms who say they were ushered back to in-person work before their employers procured sufficient office space. Amazon, for example, started requiring all corporate employees to work in-office five days a week as of January. But in December, Amazon reportedly had to delay RTO dates in some US cities due to a lack of properly prepared office space.
When reached for comment, a spokesperson for Vodafone didn’t respond to questions about the telecom reportedly withholding bonuses or about available office space. The company rep shared a statement saying: “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 8 days a month. This allows flexibility for staff and for them to benefit from in-office collaboration.”
For years, including before it started allowing remote work internally in 2021, Vodafone has promoted remote work in marketing materials. For example, a January blog post targeting small businesses detailed the benefits of remote work for employers as including improved recruitment potential and cost savings, better employee retention, and “improved productivity.”
Vodafone’s RTO push also follows numerous reports concluding that RTO mandates put employers at risk of losing senior-level talent and hurt employee retention.
This article was updated with comment from Vodafone.
