The technology company Superhuman has achieved a significant increase in office attendance by implementing a voluntary incentive scheme, moving away from a mandated return-to-office policy. The firm, which provides AI productivity tools and employs over 1,500 people globally, introduced its "Ways of Working Program" in January 2025.

Chief People Officer Kenny Mendes reported a 57% increase in daily attendance across all its offices since the programme's launch. The initiative allows employees to choose from tiered plans, committing to work between two and five days per week in the office, with increased perks for more frequent attendance.

From Mandate Failure to Opt-In Success

The new policy followed the failure of a previous two-day in-office mandate for engineering teams in April 2024. "It failed," Mendes told Business Insider. "Six months later, we were seeing low compliance, empty offices, and team members telling us point blank that coming in wasn't worth it because no one else was there."

This was despite 70% of staff living within commuting distance of the company's eight hubs in North America and Europe. Mendes described the mandated environment as frustrating, akin to "filling people into an airport" where interaction was minimal.

Financial Incentives and Removing Friction

Under the new scheme, employees who opt for more office days receive greater quarterly wellness stipends and commuter benefits. In the US, staff choosing two days per week receive $500 per quarter, while those opting for five days can receive up to $2,000 quarterly.

These funds can be used for expenses such as childcare, gym memberships, grocery delivery, and cleaning services. "If you look at that as a percentage of salary relative to the impact it has on that employee... it's a no-brainer spend from a company standpoint," Mendes stated.

The company's approach, developed with advice from behavioural scientist Jon Levy, focused on identifying and eliminating practical barriers to office attendance, such as parking costs and desk setups, rather than simply paying people to come in.

Cultural Shifts and Strong Compliance

Superhuman also made physical changes to cultivate a more social atmosphere, including reducing desk sizes to increase office density. The firm now offers daily lunch and social hours to enhance the in-office experience.

The voluntary programme has seen strong uptake, with 75% of employees near a company hub opting into a plan. A third of those have chosen to come in four or five days a week. Mendes noted that attendance has been robust, with employees showing up for 85% of their committed office days.

"I've been really shocked at how well it's working," Mendes said, highlighting the shift from "pulling teeth" to get people in two days a week to them choosing to attend more frequently.