RWFD Season 4 ~ Dataset #5 ~ Return to Office: Measuring Presence, Policy, and Reality

We’re rolling into Dataset #5 of Season 4, and this one tackles one of the most debated workplace topics of the last few years: Return to Office (RTO).

This dataset focuses on actual in-office behavior, not policy decks or executive memos. Badge swipes, check-ins, attendance patterns, and departmental differences—all wrapped into a clean, fictionalized dataset built for analysis and storytelling.

If you like operational data, behavioral analysis, or dashboards that quietly expose uncomfortable truths, this one’s for you.

What’s in the Data?

This dataset is modeled after the kinds of logs and attendance feeds that come from badge systems, office access tools, and workplace analytics platforms—cleaned up and fully synthetic for public use.

Key Dimensions:

• Employee ID
• Date (daily grain)
• Department
• Role Level (Associate → Director)
• Region
• Office Location

Attendance & Behavior Fields:

• Was In Office (Boolean)
• Check-In Time
• Check-Out Time
• Badge Swipes (proxy for movement and presence)

The data supports daily, weekly, and longitudinal analysis of in-office behavior across teams, roles, and regions.

Why This Dataset Is Interesting

RTO conversations often live at the policy level. This dataset lets you explore what actually happens on the ground.

You can analyze:

• Compliance vs. reality
• Differences between leadership and individual contributors
• Regional and departmental attendance norms
• Presence patterns over time

It’s especially useful for dashboards that compare intent vs. behavior without ever needing to say that explicitly.

Need Ideas? Here Are Some Use Cases

This dataset works well for:

• RTO Compliance Dashboards by department, role, or region
• In-Office Density Tracking to spot peak days and underused offices
• Leadership vs. Staff Attendance Comparisons
• Average Time-in-Office Analysis using check-in/check-out data
• Behavioral Trend Analysis before and after policy changes
• Office Utilization Heatmaps by location and weekday

Looking for a Challenge?

Try building one of these:

• A weekly RTO scorecard showing expected vs. actual presence
• A departmental attendance distribution with outlier detection
• A leadership presence tracker comparing directors vs. associates
• A time-in-office analysis using duration bands (short, standard, long days)
• A “badge swipe intensity” proxy for office engagement and movement

Get the Data, Share Your Build

The dataset is ready for download and open to everyone. Build something neutral, provocative, or quietly revealing… the only rule is the same as always: tell a good data story.

📌 Don’t forget to tag your projects: #RWFD and #Tableau