Employees at risk within the “absent presence” paradox: a longitudinal comparison from non-smart to smart-working reward system in the Italian private/public sector

Purpose This contribution explores the evolution of employee motivation as a strategic asset in organisations. The objective is to investigate how the value of reward systems (monetary vs non-monetary) is changing in the era of the Smart Working Model (SWM), the paradoxes of the “death of distance” and the “absent presence”. Design/methodology/approach The research adopts a longitudinal methodological perspective (Longitudinal Quantitative Surveys - LQSs) comparing two samples of public and private sector employees in Italy: the first in 2014 (n = 747) and the second in 2025 (n = 285). The 2025 analysis focuses exclusively on workers under SWM to assess their motivational impact with respect to the potential for using SWM as a strategic lever. In addition to descriptive analyses, inferential statistical techniques were employed, including chi-square tests, Cramér’s V effect size measures, reliability analysis and logistic regression models with interaction effects. Findings The results highlight a substantial motivational reconfiguration: in 2014, the demand for monetary incentives due to demotivation prevailed. In 2025, SWM would emerge as the non-monetary welfare lever par excellence. Workers with access to SWM in the public sector show greater appreciation for non-monetary systems (44.87%), significantly exceeding their preference for monetary motivation (31.41%). Logistic regression analyses further shed light on a substantial divergence between public and private-sector motivational prefrences between 2014 and 2025. Originality/value The findings suggest a substantial motivational reconfiguration associated with smart-working organisational environments. The study contributes to the literature on motivation, organisational welfare and virtual presenteeism by explaining how non-monetary organisational mechanisms linked to autonomy, flexibility and work-life balance may increasingly shape contemporary psychological contracts between organisations and employees.