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

While many agencies are requiring employees to work in the office three days a week, Publicis’ digital experience division—which includes shops such as Razorfish and Digitas—is taking what seems to be a hard stance on making that mandatory. As of Labor Day, anyone without an existing “Remote Work Arrangement” approved by management will be required to work in the office three days a week—and there will be repercussions if they don’t—according to a detailed memo and Q&A obtained by Ad Age explaining the policy. “Failure to meet the 3 day/week in-office expectation post-Labor Day may impact performance outcomes, including salary increases, bonus payouts and/or promotions,” the memo stated. Look back: Agencies struggle to get employees back into the office A spokeswoman for Publicis’ digital experience division, when asked to verify the memo and Q&A talking points, declined to comment. Ad Age Agency Report 2023 Revenue, listings and analysis for agencies and agency companies Read more here 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. Also read: Shorter workweeks at U.S. agencies aren’t being adopted 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. Attendance will also play a role in employee bonuses, promotions and employee reviews. “Failure to adhere to our policy and requirements for being in the office will have an impact on your bonus award as a result of not adhering to performance expectations and our policy,” the memo said. Among the questions answered in the Q&A was whether a Chicago employee who is part of a New York team is still required to come into the office. “Yes, you are still required to come into the office,” reads the response. “Please keep in mind that you are part of a larger agency/brand Groupe community. Engaging with your peers in the office will help you grow, collaborate and develop further in your career.” The memo also indicates that the era of hiring remotely may be over at Publicis. “Hiring will align with where the agency has an office location,” said the memo. The question was also posed directly in the Q&A: “Are we still hiring remotely?” with the response: “No, generally not.” The holding company is still offering staffers the chance to work from anywhere, for up to six weeks, as part of its “Work Your World,” which was introduced as a retention tool in 2021. “Employees planning a Work Your World trip should consult your Work Your World Team,” the memo stated. Also addressed in the memo were questions on whether a person can still work remotely if they are willing to take a pay cut (no); whether people who moved away from their original office during the pandemic with manager approval can stay there (answer: Only if their Remote Talent Arrangement is officially applied for, reviewed by management and approved Publicis’ Talent department); and whether returning workers need to come in the same three days a week (“The goal is to set up a regular, predictable cadence.”) While the memo was addressed to the digital experience team, a senior executive at a Publicis agency said other shops within the holding company have already been going into the office three days a week starting this year. Earlier this year Omnicom also adjusted its future of work plans which included a real estate consolidation plan and the creation of satellite offices in Connecticut, New Jersey and Long Island, New York.

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

Featured Stories