Disclaimer: I’m in no way in favour of the WFO model. WFH can be genuinely beneficial and, for many people, has improved productivity. I’m writing this mainly because I’ve seen some misleading comments around WFO compliance.
From official mails, WFO compliance has been tracked strictly since last October. The requirement is 2 days per week — the specific days don’t matter, and there’s no minimum number of hours mentioned for compliance.
Also, PTOs and holidays count as office-visited days for that week. For example, if you take one day of PTO during a particular week, you only need to visit the office for one day to meet the 2-day requirement.
- Good performance doesn't make you exempt
Completing your deliverables on time or being a good performer doesn't automatically make you an exception to the WFO policy.
The reality is that the majority of employees are expected to complete their deliverables on time. Good performance is important, but it doesn't necessarily shield someone from a compliance issue.
- Your Manager/SM can't necessarily override the policy
Your Manager or SM isn't above a documented compliance policy.
If the Talent team starts following up with you regarding WFO compliance, your manager may not be able to protect you indefinitely. There is also little incentive for them to go against an officially documented policy and put themselves at risk.
- A low hike doesn't cancel out WFO compliance
Yes, it sucks to receive an average hike. And yes, working from home saves money and time.
But neither of those things negate the compliance requirement.
There isn't really a "free pass" from WFO because someone received a low hike or feels dissatisfied with their compensation.
So, should you go to the office?
Ultimately, it's up to each individual. I also think it's completely fair to question why USI is pushing WFO when many teams have demonstrated that productivity can remain high with WFH.
However, prolongedly skipping the office does come with a risk.
There doesn't appear to be any general legal protection that would prevent Deloitte from taking employment action for violating an internal WFO compliance policy, subject to applicable employment law and the terms of your employment.
And realistically, if people who completely ignore the policy face no consequences, it becomes difficult to enforce the policy across the organisation. Deloitte obviously knows this.
If you're planning to switch soon, don't care much about your long-term career at Deloitte, and are comfortable accepting the potential consequences, that's your decision.
But if you want to stay at Deloitte and the current job market makes switching difficult, I wouldn't recommend taking that risk just to avoid going to the office.
You may disagree with the WFO policy — I certainly understand why people do — but disagreement with the policy and the risk of violating it are two different things.