Publicis mandates three days in the office for digital unit, threatens repercussions

While it is not unusual for agencies to require three-day-a-week attendance, what is striking about the Publicis memo is that it outlines penalties for non-compliance and processes for how compliance will be monitored.

Along with the memo, which specifies that the mandate is for the U.S., Publicis appears to have offered a 35-point Q&A-style breakdown, including a section that discusses the potential for Publicis to track how often employees are in the office, to senior leaders to have in order to answer any questions posed to them.

Tracking methods, it said, include “visual observations, consulting senior leaders that should be aware of attendance and approved absences, facilities data which can include building and floor access and network connections in the office,” according to the memo.

“While we do have access to office attendance data, as described above, our intent and standard practice is to entrust individuals and managers to adhere to these requirements,” it was stated later in the memo.