AT&T is reducing reliance on its “presence report” system, a monitoring tool designed to enforce return-to-office (RTO) compliance. The move comes after employees raised concerns about inaccuracies and eroded trust.
The tool—using badge swipes, laptop logins, and mobile location data—often misreported hours, leaving employees anxious about being unfairly flagged amid ongoing workforce reductions. As per media reports, in an internal meeting, the company’s spokesperson admitted the tool had “created anxiety,” acknowledging that its flaws were “driving people to the brink of frustration.”
An internal survey further revealed that about half of the employees in her unit felt AT&T’s systems were not enabling them to perform at their best.
While executives said the tracking successfully exposed “freeloaders” who badged in briefly to bypass RTO rules, AT&T will now de-emphasise daily monitoring. John Stankey, CEO, outlined a shift toward analysing broader patterns of behaviour rather than individual surveillance, signalling a move away from punitive enforcement.
The change comes as strict RTO mandates across corporate America face backlash for undermining morale and talent retention, with employees at AT&T reportedly scaling back discretionary effort in response to rigid monitoring.
