Since the topic continues to be discussed in bits and pieces across multiple threads that were originally about other topics, here's another thread dedicated just to RTO facts and misconceptions.
Disclaimer: Yes, I am aware the goal posts have changed and are likely to change. This information is based on current expectations.
Partial In-Office Days:
The "Working in the office: In-office attendance and reporting (Global)" article FAQs state "The current dashboard and reporting do not use duration as part of the formula and do not define a set number of hours that equals a 'day' in the office. Any amount of time worked onsite is counted as a day worked on the dashboard. That said, the expectation of working a full day onsite remains unchanged."
Key Word: Current.
Also important to note that it does not say they are not tracking hours - it's simply not part of the formula, again, currently. Hourly adherence is being tracked and leaders are expected to speak to team members who have a pattern of working partial days in office.
How the In-Office Percentage is Calculated:
The current metric is the average over each rolling three-month period. January through June are no longer factoring into that. Current rolling average is based on July through September.
If you've averaged more than 60% per three-month period (Jan-Mar, Feb-Apr, Mar-May, Apr-Jun, May-Jul, Jun-Aug, Jul-Sep), you're fine.
If you continue to average more than 60% across Aug-Oct, Sep-Nov, Oct-Dec, and so on, you will continue to be fine.
If your Jul-Sep average (or any three-month period in the future) is less than 60%, yes, you will have to work additional days in office to raise that average.
You can calculate in advance how many days you need to be in office each month, based on your Adjusted Working Days (Total Available Days minus Vacation/Holiday/Sick days) to maintain the more-than-60% average across each rolling three-month period. Further, you can calculate in advance what your year-end average will be using the same method.
Yes, I am aware we should not have to do that.
The "Working in the office: In-office attendance and reporting (Global)" article FAQs in MyHR address the change that took place in April.
"Q. Am I held to the 'more than 60% in-office' expectation for Q1 2026 if the updated measurement approach didn't take effect until Q2 2026?
A. Yes, as the expectation of working three-plus days in the office was established and communicated over 12 months ago."
Reason being that three-plus Total Possible Working days in office each week in January, February, and March (not Adjusted Possible Working Days) averages at more than 60% and would have been achieved by employees following the expectation for Q1, which, again, is no longer factoring into the three-month average.
- This isn't opinion or preference or bootlicking, just math.
How PTO Factors In:
The "Working in the office: In-office attendance and reporting (Global)" article FAQs include the below:
"Q: Does this mean I need to enter all my paid time off (PTO) in Workday?
A: Yes. A full day is deducted from your available working days for the month only if you record four or more hours of PTO for that day in Workday. PTO of less than four hours does not reduce your available working days for the month. Please note that PTO entered after month-end will not be reflected until the next monthly data refresh. If backdated PTO is entered after month-end, your in-office percentage will automatically be recalculated and updated during the next monthly refresh cycle."
In Workplace Excellence, under "What is not changing," the "In-office policy" segment states "If-office expectations will remain at more than 60%. Absences such as paid time off (PTO), sick time and volunteer time will continue to decrease the available office days and will not be counted as an in-office day."
'Am I Going to Get Fired?':
If you shrugged off the requirements all year that were communicated as "comply or goodbye" and are now scrambling to try making up for it, I don't know what to say other than you're probably out of luck.
At the end of the day, the MC is going to do whatever they want and justify it however they want and there's nothing we can actually do about it other than to try and avoid becoming a target. The TTUS doesn't matter, WE feedback doesn't matter, they want to save money through cheap labor and this nonsense helps them get there. The road to being a trillion-dollar company is paved with our terminated careers.