Australia employers tie pay & bonuses to office attendance

Robert Half has published research showing that many Australian employers link office attendance to pay, with the effect extending to both salaries and bonuses.

Among the 500 hiring managers surveyed, 68% said their organisations had adjusted salaries over the past two years based on how often employees attended the office. A slightly higher 69% said bonus structures had also been changed to reflect in-office presence.

The findings suggest a workplace shift in which physical visibility carries financial weight, even as hybrid work remains common. They also indicate that employers are using both incentives and expectations to bring staff back to the office more regularly.

Nearly all respondents (96%) said their organisations now require staff to attend the office more often than they did two years ago. Another 97% said measures had been introduced to make that return easier or more attractive.

Return Measures

The most common steps were higher bonuses or allowances, cited by 69% of employers, and extra pay, cited by 68%. Flexible working hours and wellness programmes or mental health support were each named by 33% of respondents, while 32% pointed to team-building or social events.

Other measures focused more directly on the office itself. Employers reported increasing leadership visibility and engagement, offering free or subsidised meals and snacks, upgrading office facilities, and adding amenities such as gyms, childcare or quiet rooms.

A smaller group cited clearer career progression opportunities for in-office staff, commuter subsidies, travel allowances, parking support or shuttle services. Together, those responses suggest the pushback to the office is being driven not by a single policy but by a mix of financial rewards, workplace design and career signalling.

Clinton Marks, director at Robert Half, said the results should not be taken as evidence of a formal, uniform pay policy across employers.

"While some employers say office attendance is influencing salary and bonus decisions, this is unlikely to reflect a formal or consistently applied policy. In practice, it is more likely to show up in subtle ways, where visibility, access to leadership, and perceived contribution shape how people are rewarded and progressed."

"It is also important not to assume that flexibility is worth less, or that more flexible roles should come with lower compensation. The real risk for organisations is that these decisions become influenced by proximity rather than measured performance," Marks said.

Leadership Effect

The survey also examined whether being physically closer to senior decision-makers affects advancement. On that measure, 77% of employers said proximity to leadership positively influences both compensation and career progression, while 19% said it had no noticeable effect.

That finding points to a divide between organisations that see office presence as a route to recognition and those that do not believe visibility should affect outcomes. It also highlights the challenge for managers in preserving fairness between employees who are regularly in the office and those who work remotely more often.

Marks said the issue extends beyond pay to the assessment of contributions in hybrid settings.

"Linking pay and bonuses to office attendance suggests employers are placing higher value on in-person presence, but this should be interpreted carefully. What the findings point to is an emerging perception that time spent in the office can influence how contribution is judged, rather than a clear or formal rule being applied across organisations. In many cases, the effect is likely to be indirect, where those who are more visible have greater access to decision-makers and opportunities, which can then translate into progression over time," he said.

The research was based on an online survey conducted in October 2025 among hiring managers in finance, accounting, IT, technology and human resources. Respondents came from small and medium-sized businesses, as well as large private, listed, and public-sector organisations across Australia.

The breadth of the sample suggests the trend is not confined to one industry or company type. Instead, it points to a broader employer view that being seen in person may shape access to opportunity, even where flexible work policies remain in place.

"Visibility is quietly becoming a form of currency in today's workplace. While proximity to leadership can accelerate career progression, it also creates a challenge for organisations to ensure that recognition and opportunity are not unintentionally skewed toward those who are simply more present. The focus needs to shift toward designing systems where contribution is measured consistently, regardless of where the work is done," Marks said.