An interesting villain is emerging in the RTO (return to office) wars that are raging across corporate America (and the world). At least to the degree that the term “rage” really applies here.
The war we describe is between the corporate CEOs who want their staff back in the office (for three days a week at least) and the staff who want to continue working in their pajamas.
The villain du jour in this war story is not the CEOs forcing everyone back to the office (well, maybe not). It is in fact an object familiar to anyone who has worked in a corporate office. Or visited someone who does.
It is the ID card/security badge. Or whatever you care to call that thing you swipe or tap to open the secure door (usually with a satisfying beep) that leads you to the endless bank of cubicles that you sit among all day. Or at least on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
The Beloved Badge
The necessary but not particularly beloved key card/security badge is taking on a new role in the RTO wars. As a surveillance mechanism.
This isn’t brand new. We have made reference to the growing importance of key cards during previous musings on RTO here and on our podcast.
First, the key card plays an important role as a data collection mechanism. For example, what better way to measure how many workers are in fact returning to downtown skyscrapers and suburban office parks? And for how many days and for how many hours, etc. This has value to companies, not to mention to journalists and others reporting on the progress companies are making in getting their offices filled again. Also, urban planners trying to figure out what the long-term normal looks like in Manhattan, the Chicago Loop, downtown LA, and other major urban centers.
And it should be to no one’s surprise that the security badge is also becoming the tool by which companies will monitor which workers are obeying the new RTO policies. And which are not. Then apply disciplinary action accordingly.
We noted this when we wrote about Meta’s back-to-office efforts, which employ badges to monitor compliance. And we have also written previously on the badge’s role in measuring the progress of RTO.
TikTok’s MyRTO Flex
The beloved badge bubbled up again last week when we learned that TikTok USA had managed to annoy many of its 7,000 U.S. employees with a new tool called MyRTO that uses, drum roll please, key cards to monitor employee comings and goings.
TikTok USA will require employees to RTO three times a week beginning in October.
Measuring card swipes may not in and of itself be the source of the controversy. After all, HR has been mining this data for ages. Rather, according to the New York Times, the source of tension seems to be the fact that the MyRTO tool asks employees to explain “deviations” in their card swipe patterns.
Imagine a soothing yet discernably synthetic voice (female, British accent) that says:
“Jennifer. We were just wondering why you’ve taken so many 10-minute breaks this week. We noticed these recent deviations in your pattern and we are very concerned. Is everything OK Jennifer?”
The fact is, Jennifer has started smoking again. So she fesses up to MyRTO, who already knew.
“This is a very disappointing development, Jennifer. Can we refer you to our corporate smoking cessation program? It has helped so many of our team members break this terrible habit. Your health is very important to us, Jennifer. Will you be returning to your desk now?”
