Hogan Lovells Among City Law Firms Monitoring Attendance to Evaluate Hybrid Work Policy Effectiveness

UK-headquartered Hogan Lovells, a global law firm, is currently analyzing swipe card entry data to assess the regularity of individuals working on-site from its offices in both London and Birmingham, as reported by The Telegraph.

The mon­it­or­ing of indi­vidual office attend­ance data began in October 2023 to evaluate the effectiveness of the company’s hybrid working policy. Hogan Lovells, which mandates its UK staff to spend at least 60% of the working week in the office, has no plans to alter this approach. 

The firm, with partners earning an average of £1.8 million, is also utilizing occupancy data in preparation for its move to a new London headquarters in 2026.

According to a spokesman for Hogan Lovells, the collected swipe card entry data is just one aspect of the occupancy trends being reviewed. Various factors influencing data accuracy are also acknowledged, such as holidays, business travel, public transport disruptions, and secondments. 

Law firms in the city are now part of the increasing number of employers monitoring attendance data in their offices as they crack down on remote workers not adhering to company policies. 

Taylor Wessing, the tech and ven­ture cap­ital spe­cial­ist, also confirmed that its leadership teams receive data to comprehend individual office attendance levels. 

The company currently mandates employees to spend a minimum of three days per week working either in the office or with clients, rewarding lawyers with crypto tokens for exceptional contributions. 

The law firm is undergoing a complete refurbishment of its London headquarters after renewing its office lease in 2023.

Similar actions have been taken by rival firms including Clifford Chance, Slaughter and May, and EY. 

Yet, there are apprehensions regarding the possible lasting effects of surveillance strategies on hiring and keeping employees. It has been observed that monitoring staff in this way may generate distrust, causing anxiety and stress that can compromise mental health.