‘Unbelievable’: Tactic linking promotions to being in office completely divides Aussie workers

A new tactic being used by bosses to get staff back into the office has sparked a huge reaction from Aussie workers/

Aussie bosses who want staff back in the office full time but want to avoid implementing unpopular return-to-office mandates are now using a sneakier method to get people to give up working from home.

It was recently revealed that a huge number of bosses and companies across the country are now linking being in the office to advancement opportunities.

Research from Robert Half of 500 hiring managers and 1000 full-time office workers found a whopping 74 per cent of Australian employers agree workers’ office attendance “significantly” impacts their likelihood of promotion.

Throughout the end of 2024 and into 2025, we have seen a notable rise in companies walking back their remote and hybrid working-from-home policies, in favour of return-to-office mandates.

Aussies have become accustomed to remote and hybrid work. Picture: iStock

MORE: The good and the bad of working from home

However, these have also sparked a significant backlash from workers, who question why they must return to the office full time despite proving they can be just as productive while working from home.

Strict mandates can create resentment, but by making it clear to employees that being in the office will give them a better shot at being promoted, bosses are hoping to side step this awkward return-to-office phase all together.

The tactic has created a clear divide among Australians, with people either vehemently against the idea of linking promotions to office attendance and others seeing no issue with the move.

News.com.au readers were quick to share their strong opinions on the matter.

Many commenters were celebrating the tactic, saying it “made sense” in our post-Covid work environment.

“How can you progress and be a leader and develop teams and people when your sitting at home while others are at work. Covid made people entitled,” one wrote.

There were multiple people who were adamant that anyone still working from home in 2025 wasn’t doing their job properly.

“They should be back at work now … just bludging at home,” one said, while another noted that this method of choosing who gets a promotion “seems fair”.

MORE: How to negotiate working from home

Another commenter said it was time for Australian businesses to return to the “traditional ways” of working, claiming working from home was making people “lazier”.

One person reasoned that it was “human nature” to promote who you see, and those who go into the office can better demonstrate desired skills like people management through regular in-person interactions.

Another commenter even went as far as to claim that people working in the office should be paid more compared to those working from home.

“They are taking the time, effort and willingness to go to their workplace, to engage socially with their co-workers and to strengthen their work relationships,” they said.

However, there were also many people who had a completely opposite view, branding this method of handing out promotions “unbelievable”, with some even branding it “coercion”.

There were multiple people who were adamant that they would prefer to remain working remotely rather than being offered the “possibility” of a promotion by returning to the office.

“Contrary to popular belief, many people don’t actually care about a promotion, and are happy to just do their job as required and value their work life balance,” one wrote.

Another said they couldn’t care less about promotions, saying “just let me WFH”.

Others were sceptical over whether such an advancement would even eventuate if people agreed to return to the office.

“They dangle the carrot but no one is getting promoted,” one said.

“Sooooo go back to office hoping for a promotion you never actually get. Riiight,” another wrote.

There were those who also pointed out that it would actually cost people more money to commute to the office every day, so they would need a raise purely to offset those extra costs.

“If companies want workers to work in the office, pay them for their travel time and costs,” one said.

One added: “The money from most promotions wouldn’t cover the cost of travel, work clothes, food and travel time.”

Others simply claimed that promotions and raises should be based on performance, not the physical location of the employee.

“Such a manipulative way to keep control over employees,” one said.

Bosses risking ‘mutiny’ over RTO mandates

It isn’t just Australian employers that are using this tactic to avoid return-to-office mandates while still achieving the same goal.

Robert Half research also show the majority of employers surveyed in the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and France agree that being in the office can influence promotional opportunities.

And the tactic may just work, to a certain extent.

The study showed employees are prepared to increase their in-office attendance rather than risk being overlooked for advancement.

Bosses run the risk of losing key talent if they enforce strict return to office mandates. Picture: iStock

If their employer outlined it as a requirement or expectation for a higher role, almost half – 45 per cent – of employees say they would increase their time in the office.

However, there was still a significant amount of workers who said even the threat of being held back wouldn’t get them to relinquish remote work, with 17 per cent saying they would choose to work from home over a promotion.

A further 18 per cent said they would even look for a new job with less rigid in-office requirements.

Aussie bosses have previously been warned that strict mandates around hybrid and remote work could risk a disgruntled workforce.

Earlier this year, Natasha Hawker, managing director for HR and recruitment company Employee Matters, theorised that there were many employers who feared anti-WFH mandates could result in losing good workers.

Ms Hawker referenced a recent survey from Australian recruitment agency, Randstad, which found that 52 per cent of white-collar employees believe working from home in some capacity is a “fundamental right”.

The study found that, although 41 per cent of Australians would hesitantly return to the office if required, nearly one quarter would start actively searching for another job with a hybrid work arrangement and six per cent would resign right away.

“That sounds like a mutiny to me. So, you risk losing your top performers. We are still in an incredibly tight applicant market, you do not want to lose your high performers,” Ms Hawker told Sunrise.