Dr. Gleb Tsipursky – The Office Whisperer
Nirit Cohen – WorkFutures
Angela Howard – Culture Expert
Drew Jones – Design & Innovation
Jonathan Price – CRE & Flex Expert
AT&T is cutting back its use of a digital attendance monitoring tool after employees raised concerns about its accuracy and impact on daily work life. The system, called “presence reporting,” had been used to track whether staff were meeting in-office requirements, typically eight hours a day, five days a week.
System Collected Data from Devices, Not Just Badges
Unlike traditional badge systems, presence reporting pulled data from multiple sources, including laptop network connections and mobile device locations, to estimate how long employees were at their designated worksite.
In some cases, minor activity like stepping out for lunch or briefly visiting the office on a scheduled day off would result in incomplete or inaccurate records, according to Business Insider.
Employees said the system often misrepresented their actual hours, especially earlier this year when the five-day office requirement was being rolled out. Reports could be off by several hours, causing confusion and stress for workers trying to remain in compliance.
Complaints Prompt Reduced Emphasis on Monitoring
Internal feedback led AT&T leadership to scale back the use of the tool. While presence reporting was initially helpful in identifying employees who were spending only brief amounts of time in the office, the company has decided that continued day-to-day tracking is no longer necessary for most salaried roles.
The system will remain in place in a limited capacity but is no longer being used to evaluate individual compliance on a routine basis.
Employee Survey Raised Concerns About Monitoring
An internal survey asked whether company policies and systems supported employees in delivering their best work. Roughly half of respondents in the marketing and growth division answered negatively.
While the survey did not specifically reference the presence reporting tool, many respondents used comment sections to express frustration with its impact on scheduling and flexibility.
Examples included difficulties attending medical appointments without being flagged for noncompliance, as well as concerns that incorrect attendance data could be used in performance reviews or future layoffs.
Leadership Acknowledges System Accuracy Problems
AT&T executives told employees that the presence report was not always reliable and that it caused unnecessary frustration. They also acknowledged that the tracking tool had become a source of anxiety and reduced trust among staff.
The company confirmed that disciplinary action had already been taken against individuals who abused the attendance policy. According to leadership, the tool helped identify extreme outliers — such as workers who showed up briefly just to badge in — but is no longer needed for that purpose.
Impact on Morale and Work Habits
The presence tracking system also had an unintended effect on employee motivation. Some workers who typically stayed longer hours said they reduced their effort once it became clear that only time physically spent in the office was being counted.
Others expressed frustration that their professionalism was being questioned despite meeting performance expectations.
Recent internal reports show improvements in the system’s accuracy, but many employees remain skeptical. Although the tool’s role is being reduced, the experience has left a lasting impression — especially among those who felt penalized by inaccurate data.
