Chief people officer Fiona Cicconi told the tech giant’s employees that it’s updating its hybrid work policy to include tracking office badge attendance, and that failure to comply with the company’s three-day weekly requirement could be part of performance reviews. (The Washington Post, CNBC)

Talking Point: Google was one of the first major U.S. firms to send employees home at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. In April 2022, the company told workers to return to the office at least three days a week and tried to incentivize them with perks like marching bands and a private Lizzo concert—but many have ignored the rule. “There’s no question that working together in the same room makes a positive difference,” Cicconi said in an email to employees viewed by CNBC. Google isn’t the only large corporation to reverse course on its remote work arrangements. In Canada, for example, RBC CEO Dave McKay said remote work was hurting productivity and innovation. Since May 1, the bank has required staff to return to offices up to four days a week.