#returntooffice

https://www.inc.com/leila-sheridan/kevin-oleary-loves-why-his-companies-will-never-force-a-return-to-the-office/91291726

I saw an article pop up in business insider but it’s behind a paywall. Did you answer honestly?!

Skilled and experienced people can find another job more easily. They'll be the first to quit, followed by many decent people who can't meet the RTO requirements. I don't condone these attrition tactics, I think they're cheap and counterproductive. But if they have such a strong urge to push people out, why not do it strategically instead of shooting themselves in the foot?

1. Part of messaging to analysts that OpenText is continuing on its promised transformation as announced when MB was fired. This says, we mean business, we are pulling out people in, we have control over their output. When business declines, pretending to change the dynamic of a component of that failure is part of telling analysts your recovery story.
2. Attrition: Attrition is expected and welcome. There is a stat on this as part of the planing. Any employee contributing at high value or in a niche way is absolutely not on the handpicked RTO list.
3. The list is VERY deliberate. You will note that today's employer communication underscored sales teams are exempt. Sure they gave reasons, but the reality is, OT is in the business of SELLING not INVENTING. OT can and will easily replace any employee who Isn't selling and that includes sellers.
4. This is a preamble to the entrance of the new CEO. More control, more expectation, more oversight is the message.
5. Stay tuned. Several more big announcements coming including restructuring and leadership exits through the fiscal year.
6. Big carve out Q127
7. Big change coming for one of the "core" business units.
8. 1-6 are all part of the process of reducing headcount through voluntary exits (non executive) and golden parachutes for senior leaders.
9. Followed by a HUGE WFR.

There have been strong discussions that people managers, at every level and in all locations, should lead by example by being office-based.

If you are a virtual people manager at any level, anywhere in the world, you should expect your team to be managed by an office-based leader. What that means for you, I'm sure you can guess.

Yes, a new Office First policy will be announced.
No, not every employee will be mandated back to an office.
Yes, employees currently assigned as hybrid office based will be required to work from that office each day. No more 3 day schedule. This will happen over a few months.
Yes, if you are currently a virtual employee (meaning that your HR profile which you can access on Talent Central has you listed as virtual), AND your home address is within 31 miles of an OT office, you will be reassigned as an office employee and will be required to work from your assigned office every day. These employees will be given several months before they have to begin working from the office.
Yes, this applies to ALL employees in the US who live within that distance to an office, other than customer facing sales.
No, employees in countries with council will not immediately have to comply. OT is negotiating with these councils.

I assume Dallas will shut down this week when the snow hits. Some forecasts predict twelve inches. Is everyone planning to work from home? Or since we can’t get to the office, and that’s the only place we can work, do we get a snow day off? My supervisor is on maternity leave so no info coming,, wondering what others are hearing.

When revenue tightens and the stock slides, forcing five days in-office is pure waste. Higher real estate costs, higher attrition, lower productivity. If leadership is serious about discipline, RTO should be the first thing cut. However, it will just be headcount. Expect layoffs and FTW letters to increase at record speed.

I've heard on good authority that there are no changes to the hybrid schedule planned

If the return to office thing is happening, can someone confirm what will happen to virtual

There are thousands of virtual employees so they won't all be let go

Will they be told relocate ? Or will they remain virtual if over 50 miles to an office

Heard from a reliable source, that managers will be required to do 5 days a week in office from Sept this year and everyone from March 2027. Anyone else heard this?

The temperature could feel like as low as -4 F next week, and yet we still have to come to office and talk to people all over the world. But hey! our office is nice and warm right? My life is a beautiful dream. Thank you Robin!

I've noticed several people commenting about the need to be in the office 4 out of 6 weeks.

Don't managers get notified each week when someone isn't meeting the 3-day office requirement? How are people able to use the reporting period workaround?

So Apparently PNC will require all "In-Scope" employees to go back to the office five days a week starting May 4, 2026.
Some of my coworkers and other people I've talked to while doing technical support for the PNC employees feel this is a move to get people to quit in order to avoid having to lay off people.

I have been at 3 banks now, where I was hired fully remote and was eventually RTO5'd. All 3 happened after a large acquisition. Let me tell you, it's not fun. Here's the thing. Over the last 5+ years, these banks have hired great talent all over the country and have all done well. Look at PNC for example. YoY increase in profits, productivity, and stock price since being fully remote.
Here is what happens:
You drive ~1 hour round trip to commute (if you are lucky), with more expenses, less flexibility, and less sleep / mental well-being.
They haven't invested any money in the offices in years, so you sit in a run-down office with half of the amenities it may have once had.
You take team calls because your team and other teams you collaborate with are spread out all over the country, and do the same exact thing you did from home, but now from an office cubicle / open floor plan desk.
The objectively worse work environment + the lack of being able to take a mental break/reset eventually drives you mad.

This is not for collaboration or culture.
This is not going back to what it "used to be". As a matter of fact, most people in technology were hybrid long before Covid and NEVER worked 5 days in the office.
This is not "were going to see how this works out and maybe..."

Nope.

I don't know what the reason is. Maybe it's a soft layoff, and they want people to quit. Maybe it's from outside forces. Maybe it's because of the acquisition, and certain people want to continue to line their pockets more. It's probably all of the above.

Whatever it is, this is not what the employees wanted. Don't believe me? Check out the results from the end of year survey.

I am already hearing "this is what people wanted.", "The people who have already RTO have loved it.", "This is just an experiment, and no one knows what's going to be the outcome.", "People have been doing this for years before covid with no issues."
It's all BS.

What some of the downvoted comments on here have said are correct. If 5 days in isn't for you, then look for a new job or simply don't comply and get fired / inevitably laid off. Or suffer until one of the above happens.

I would really love to think that we the working people can do something to change this but it is painfully obvious that they do not care or have ulterior motives, so they are probably not going care about any counter efforts. They want some employees to stay and some employees to leave.
If the ones who they don't want to retain leave - great!
If the ones who they do want to retain leave - well, they can always be replaced.

We all want WFH just like we all want paid more, and how many companies have ever paid their employees more out of the kindness of their hearts?

They do not care about us and it's not just PNC it's 99% of all companies in this country.

This is what I would say…respectfully of course.

Your employees have stood behind you helping PNC stay successful. Without us, it could not be done. Every single one of us contributes in some way. You are getting a lot of heat regarding your decision. Is this the legacy that you want to be remembered by? A CEO who didn’t care about his employees? I know you have heart, Bill. I’ve seen it.

You were so upset about not being able to reach several direct reports. If your directs can’t be reached, I’d be upset too. But hold them individually accountable, not the entire bank.

Your children are grown, I believe. If I’m wrong, I apologize. This company has alot of single moms struggling to support their children. In most families with two parents, they both have to work. Trying to juggle getting them to school and back home, daycare costs and keeping food on the table has become more challenging than ever. Most of us don’t make enough money to hire a nanny. We want to have enough time with our children to raise them well. Our children are the future businessmen and women of this country. Nothing can replace that valuable time with our children to help them grow into successful adults, make good decisions and always be open to other people’s perspectives. To always be respectful to everyone, because you never know what they may be dealing with. And when you can help someone less fortunate, you should. Be loving, be kind, be supportive.

Those that are happy with the return to office decision are ones who can afford to do so. We aren’t pushing back because we’re lazy people or big babies! Maybe there is a very small percentage that seem to take advantage. Hold those people accountable, not the employees who produce and do their jobs effectively.

Put yourself in our shoes for 1 day. Partner with a single mom for a day and see the challenges. Having to choose between paying the gas bill or putting food on the table. Do you know what that feels like? The cost of commuting whether by bus or car 5 days a week is expensive.

You’ve said how successful we’ve been before & after covid, now all of a sudden it’s hurting the company to work from home. It’s contradictive. We know there are other reasons behind your decision.

I’m asking you to consider coming out and saying you have heard how your employees feel, and maybe have us come in 3 days a week. Inform your management team not everyone can’t wtf mondays and fridays. It should be well coordinated for coverage purposes. For department meetings, everyone in person. That little bit of flexibility will go along way, Bill. Going back on a decision doesn’t make you a weak leader, Bill. It shows everyone that you are a human being who cares about his employees. That you recognized after the fact, this decision was going to cause more hardships than you anticipated. I guarantee if you did that, your employees would be much happier and so appreciative. When employees are happy at work, they tend to go above and beyond more.

All the silly posts in this site talking about "staging a protest" with picket signs and masks and cr-p is honestly so cringe and stupid.

In years past when they attempted to enforce a RTO policy, everyone just collectively ignored it, and it went away. That's it. That's all everyone had to do, and it required absolutely no extra effort. Whether that happens again this time around or not, I really don't even care, but I'm not complying regardless.

They can go ahead and fire me, I am not at all worried about it. Ya have until May to have a different option lined up anyways. I'm sure they already expect 10% of the workforce to quit and/or be fired, but probably not 25-50%.

Either way, I'm going to do what I've always done and just ignore it. Not really a big deal.

Question in title

stock is in a free fall again, and they are awarding stocks as retention to their 40k employees. what does it mean? buy backs?
also they are asking people in BH to be in the office all 5 days again, what a joke!

So how is the new RTO 'mandate' going for everybody ?
So far nothing has changed at our office and management seems to not enforce it either.

Also what is the RTO announced for Canada and Ottawa in specific? Are we required to go in anytime soon?

Is the week of the RTO memo drop supposedly?? Wonder how it impacts people who have been in a virtual job for. Few years.

Knowing I have to go to the dell office tomorrow in Round Rock

Manila, Argentina, engine don’t have RTO: they are still hybrid. Why?
What’s the point in the US to have a free for all “find a place” seating?
New spaces are GREAT if you do not care about any ergonomics whatsoever.
When are 1500 office workers moving to 1400 so they can spend $100k+ building floors with glass and non adjustable chairs?

When are the packages coming again?
Makes me so sad - you?

The automatic rank everyone lower…
The place people on PIPs…..
The lack luster severance…..

Its all done to run off people to avoid any severance payouts AND it’s all designed to recoup money.

1.2 billion $ Russia mistake…the AI promise of cost savings….all black eyes and recouping money any way they can is the make up to cover it up.

So, use this as motivational fuel for later. The job market will get better. Trust me, there are jobs out there that pay more money than Citi, even more so since Citi is not giving up any $ for bonus’s or raises. Citi would have you believe that you’ve got a better deal “here” but at best Citi is average on pay and perks. This…all of this….that Citi is doing is a well rounded snapshot of what Citi thinks of you and your worth.

Take the hint and when things turn around, start seeking jobs outside of Citi even look beyond the financial sector. Use all of what Citi is doing to sharpen your focus on leaving. Use it as motivational fuel to leave once you find something comparable. As far as the return to office jargon…..you might as well work somewhere else for more money and go in the office there instead of here for less $.

I was snooping around Viva Engage and came across a community called “Facilities and Real Estate Services”. From a post on 12/17/2025 there is a Workplace Mobility Overview deck.

On that page 5 of the deck, there are additional sites for the RTO timeline:

Wausau (WI012) - Return date 1/12/26
Metairie (LA013) - Return date 1/12/26
Draper (UT027) - Return date 1/12/26
Atlanta (GA019) - Return date 1/12/26
Columbia (MD101) - Return date 1/12/26
Richardson (TX023) - Return date 2/9/26
Cypress (CA120) - Return date 2/9/26

Has anyone heard more about this?

So just to get this straight - there aren’t “remote work weeks” but leaders can just randomly work remote for a day here or there? If they are responding to work emails and engaging in work with their team then they are technically working right? Which means they aren’t taking PTO. Isn’t that remote work? Meanwhile I am expected to be IN the office?

Who is monitoring this? The timecard and attendance piece? Or do rules not apply to “so called” leaders? Asking for a friend and my colleagues who actually follow the rule. Just curious if we should start calling the “speak up but you won’t be heard line.”

Captains Log 01092026. What a joke with this return to office mandate. There is zero consistency.

“To create connection* – with each other, with what people need to thrive in their everyday lives, and with stories and experiences that matter.”

• Our company’s product enables people to do anything they want from anywhere in the world at anytime of day or night - and to prove it, we require our employees to suffer lengthy commutes into dangerous parts of town in aging buildings 5 days a week to join their Teams call from their desk. We call this “Collaboration”.

Three locations are being designated as primary “home offices”: Austin, Nashville, and either Oklahoma City or Santa Clara.
Employees outside of these locations will be classified as remote for the purposes of promotion consideration and internal role changes.

In parallel, employees below I8 who choose not to relocate to one of these locations will be targeted for layoffs.

They expect to let everyone else ride it out until they leave Dell, but don't expect any growth.

Exceptions are expected, and this should not be interpreted as a blanket action for all sub-I8 roles. Outcomes will likely vary by organization and team, and specifics may differ accordingly.

Has anyone had luck with attorneys to reclaim severance or bonus?
If you're interested in speaking to a reporter, reach out to: sabrina.kharrazi@ft.com

is the new policy now 8 hours a day, 5 days a week...no exception. https://www.thestreet.com/employment/dell-issues-stern-message-after-employees-violate-new-work-policy

I thought Jassy wanted to get rid of bureaucracy? Guess not.

And I am already cringing about going in the office tomorrow. Such a depressing place to work..

It's important to make a good impression. Everyone will be there! Some of you will even be sharing the same desk and chair!

Also, which ATL location you would pick, if there is a choice?

To: My Valued Cost-Centers (Employees),

​Happy New Year! As I sit here in my climate-controlled, triple-glazed corner suite, watching the sunrise over the yacht club, I couldn't help but feel a fleeting sense of warmth—though that may have just been the heated massage function on my Italian leather chair.

​2026 is the year of Synergy, Sacrifice, and Shareholder Supremacy.

​The Triumph of the 4-Day Return
​I want to personally congratulate those of you who have successfully navigated the commute to join us in the office four days a week. Seeing you all hunched over your laptops, participating in Teams meetings with the person sitting three feet away, truly warms my heart. It’s that "water cooler magic" we talked about—even if the water cooler was removed to make room for another row of unassigned lockers.
​I’m aware that some of you have complained about the Hot-Desking Lottery. Look at it as a daily adventure! Will you find a desk with a working monitor today? Or will you spend your morning playing "musical chairs" with a tangled nest of broken HDMI cables? If you find yourself working from the broom closet again, just remember: it’s not a "broom closet," it’s a Cozy Collaboration Pod™.

​Efficiency: Our North Star
​While you are busy creating value for our institutional investors, I have been busy ideating. To ensure we are squeezing every drop of "lemonade" out of our human capital, I am thrilled to announce several
Employee Wellness & Productivity Initiatives for Q1:
​Bio-Break Benchmarking: We’ve noticed a slight dip in keystrokes during mid-morning. To help you stay on track, we are installing "Smart-Flush" sensors. If a restroom visit exceeds the mandated 120-second "Standard Relief Window," an automated alert will be sent to your manager to discuss your time-management skills.

​The "Mike Wirth" Policy: In the spirit of your favorite office slang, we’re aiming for maximum efficiency in all... movements. If you’re going to "take a Mike Wirth," please ensure you’ve pre-filed a "Functional Downtime" request. We wouldn't want your lack of productivity to be as disappointing as a stagnant stock price.

​Oxygen Optimization: Studies show that humans exhale carbon dioxide, which is bad for the environment (and our ESG score). We are considering a "Breath-Per-Minute" tax to encourage calm, shallow, and highly efficient respiration while at your desks.

​Vertical Desking: Why sit or stand when you can lean? We are replacing chairs with 75-degree padded planks to ensure no one gets too comfortable. Comfort is the enemy of the 52-week high.

​Looking Ahead
​Remember, every time you struggle to find a functional mouse or spend 45 minutes looking for a stapler, a shareholder somewhere gets their wings (or a slightly larger dividend). You aren't just "employees"; you are the fuel we burn to reach the moon.

​Now, stop reading this and get back to your Teams call. I can see your "Active" status flickering from here.

​In Solidarity (With the Board),
​The CEO

From we've been told, you need 6.5 hours of activity a day. For an 8 hour day, that works out to 1 hour for lunch, and two 15 minute breaks. But the conflict between in-office and mandatory digital activity is really striking. How can you collaborate and work with colleagues if your screen time is measured and reported on.

Want to visit a colleagues desk or have a chat in a meeting room? Better bring your laptop and move your mouse around or it comes out of your lunch/break time.

Is Wells hosting an employee event? A town hall perhaps? If you go, your digital activity average will suffer. You will need to trade your lunch for it, and hope it doesn't run long - or just stay late to compensate.

Its fun that they have a gym at my office, but if I want to use it, I need to either skip lunch or stay late that day.

So many people leave their workstations unlocked now when they step away to the bathroom or to get coffee, so it doesn't count against them.

Meanwhile, years long colleagues randomly disappear, one after another, never to be seen again.

Living the Wells Life.