#rto

Has there been any discussion on how long this designation will last and if all people outside hubs need to move or just where offices are closed? This puts people with that status in limbo prolonging the decision.

There's no nice way to put it. People are upset. There's a lot of hate for favoritism, nepotism, and even a racist culture going on. Maybe it's built-up tension from all the layoffs going wrong; going wrong, I mean management saving their family and pets, but letting go good engineers.

I feel myself needing to watch my back and also becoming more pessimistic. This culture really came to light after returning back to the office and the atmosphere is toxic.

Why waste hours of our lives in LA traffic? Why make everything more expensive for us? Why drain people of their time and energy just to tick some box? It won’t make us better performers. It won’t make us more creative, harder working, or more efficient. If anything, the quality of work will drop. Exhausted and demoralized people are the worst employees you could possibly have. Is that really what they want to achieve?

https://www.businessinsider.com/att-system-for-tracking-employees-rto-compliance-2025-9

Following a layoff of 9,000 employees globally, Novo Nordisk has announced a new return-to-office (RTO) mandate. The pharmaceutical company, known for its diabetes and weight-loss dr-gs like Ozempic and Wegovy, is requiring all office-based staff to work five days a week in the office. The new policy is set to take effect on January 1st.

The layoffs, which amount to about 11% of the company's workforce, are part of a restructuring plan by the new CEO, Mike Doustdar, to streamline operations, reduce complexity, and save an estimated $1.25 billion annually by the end of 2026. The company plans to reinvest these savings into its core areas of diabetes and obesity treatments. The job cuts, which include 5,000 positions in Denmark, are a response to slowing sales growth and increasing competition, particularly from rival dr-gmaker Eli Lilly.

The RTO mandate is being implemented to "foster a stronger sense of belonging, strengthen relationships, enhance collaboration, and accelerate decision-making processes." According to reports, the company did not have a universal work-from-home policy before, and rules varied by country and department. While the new mandate is a full-time return, the company stated that individual agreements between managers and employees are still possible to balance both personal and business needs.

The decision has been met with criticism from some employee representatives, who were "surprised" by the change, arguing that remote work and a vibrant office culture are not mutually exclusive. This move by Novo Nordisk aligns with a broader trend of companies reversing remote work policies, with some experts suggesting that RTO mandates are being used as a way to encourage employees to quit, thereby reducing headcount without having to pay severance. However, the company's new CEO has emphasized the need for a shift in mindset to become faster and more agile in a competitive market.

There’s literally nothing else to it.

Saddened by this announcement - with culture being at the center of so many conversations this year, I’m disappointed that leadership thinks this is a step in the right direction for our culture (And from whose perspective? Culture isn’t what leadership says it is - it’s what employees actually feel when they work there.).

There are a lot of hardworking employees who thrive professionally (and personally) while working from home AND actually get more done there than in the office.

And those that KNOW they get more/better work done at the office make a point to go there since it’s open 5 days a week to them.

If Chevron is worried about competitive performance, focus on hiring and retaining GOOD workers who know how and where they do their best work and let them do it.

You won’t get better work from people by forcing them to come into the office - this simply reflects that leaders are more productive in the office than at home.

I share the sentiment and agree wholeheartedly with the poster. Putting it up for visibility.
OP: @b1+1k4z0p2ve

AT&T tracked employee attendance to find 'freeloaders.' Now, it admits the system is driving workers to the 'brink of frustration

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/t-tracked-employee-attendance-freeloaders-095701036.html

AT&T is dialing down its use of a controversial attendance tracking system for enforcing its RTO policy.

The so-called presence report uses a combination of inputs to log employees' time in the office.

The company's CMO says its goal of finding "freeloaders" has been met, though trust issues remain.

AT&T is reducing its reliance on an employee-attendance tracking system, admitting to workers that it hasn't been fully accurate and is "driving people to the brink of frustration."

The system, known internally as presence reporting, automatically tracks the hours workers spend at their assigned office. Most are required to log at least eight hours a day, five days a week, on-site.

Go read on the Chevron board—-looks like they are going to have to be in the office 4 days/week beginning January 1st.

Will Shell in the US follow? I think there may be space issues in the UK, so I don’t think they can implement it there,

Info for my Amercian friends. In Poland there will be an application for desk reservation. We dont have enought desks for all the employes and with 4 days in office coming it looks like this is their solution. Just saying that it may be used in your localizations

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/at-t-tracked-employee-attendance-to-find-freeloaders-now-it-admits-the-system-is-driving-workers-to-the-brink-of-frustration/ar-AA1MpqJJ?ocid=msedgntp&pc=DCTS&cvid=68c417d6a14d47a3b21a021170d7ea46&ei=15 or https://www.businessinsider.com/att-system-for-tracking-employees-rto-compliance-2025-9

https://www.yahoo.com/finance/news/bosses-admit-using-return-office-153222696.html

From Business Insider article; “ AT&T tracked employee attendance to find 'freeloaders.' Now, it admits the system is driving workers to the 'brink of frustration.’ “

Relief may be on the way for all that are beyond frustrated.

Come on. He's smarter than that.

The Agile crew is still chilling with their sweet 2-day setup.

I know its not a layoff post but I'm genuinely curious anyone here work in the Charlotte area for a corporate function? Looking at risk roles and understand the 5 day office thing but also hear no seats and new hub is coming in 2026. Is Charlotte actually a hub? Not trying to onboard and then get told to move to ATL or Dallas. What's the day to day experience working at T? Can anyone explain a Principal title in terms of where in the org that sits? How's bonus, benefits, time off etc.?

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/11/microsoft-ceo-nadella-says-company-must-rebuild-trust-with-employees.html

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella told employees in a Thursday online meeting that the company has work to do to smooth relations with employees.

Nadella was responding to concerns that have been raised following several rounds of layoffs and demands for a partial return to in-person work.

“I think we can do better, and we will do better,” Nadella said.

‘We will do better.’ Microsoft CEO Nadella admits company has to rebuild trust with employees

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/09/11/microsoft-ceo-nadella-says-company-must-rebuild-trust-with-employees.html

The company and John Stankey have made it clear that the direction is for employees to be colocated in Dallas. It doesn’t make sense for us to operate and keep open hubs or offices across the U.S. for a distributed workforce. Either relocate to Dallas or quit.

And none of this nonsense of I work in a (fake) hub located in LA, St Louis, or Arkansas city. I have specialized skills or deliver exceptional value nonsense. We run a dynamic customer-facing business, tackling large-scale, challenging initiatives. This is why we work in person, together in Dallas, during common working hours. If working in another city is important to you, then do it for some other company.

In case you all needed another reason to hate your jobs, here’s a fun treat for those who are going into the new Lake Mary, FL office that opens next week. HR has confirmed swipe out badge readers have been installed, and advised “Elevance expects all associates to remain on-site for the duration of the workday.”

You'll see layoffs at end of Q3 followed by more targeted layoffs in Q1. You will see RTO for Jax office and others will be forced to move there or be replaced

Well, the RTO purge has pretty much run its course. Anyone who couldn’t relocate, wouldn’t commute, or flat out refused to play the badge swipe game is already gone or has one foot out the door. That was the whole point, force attrition without paying severance. Mission accomplished.

So what now? The RTO hammer can’t keep falling because there aren’t many left to force out. The novelty is wearing off, and the execs can’t keep blaming remote work forever. Sooner or later, the whole RTO obsession will fade into the background, and we’ll be right back to the good old AT&T tradition: cyclical layoffs every 6 months.

That’s the real playbook. Not collaboration. Not culture. Just headcount reduction on a timer. Watch, the headlines will quietly shift from “RTO enforcement” to “restructuring” and “realignment.” Different buzzwords, same outcome.

RTO was never about making the company stronger. It was a temporary stick to thin the herd. And now that the herd is thinned, the machine goes back to business as usual: cut, shuffle, repeat.

How is this RTO thing even "news"? This was already announced and widely covered months ago.

I am loving AT&T’s new company culture under John Stankey. I roll into the Dallas office after 10AM, and collect my badge swipe. Stay until a little bit after lunch. Get to grab something tasty for lunch. As for actual work? I do as little of it possible. Tasks that would take me an hour, I now stretch out to the whole day.

If I have any ideas or thoughts! Cute - I keep them to myself.

That’s all I have to do. I don’t have the same pressure to perform as non-hub people in California or Missouri - fu-k those guys. Just shift your work to non-hub and overseas employees. Stankey does it all the time - like how he shifts blame or responsibility from himself to others. Follow the leader and you’re safe! Fu-k everyone else!

The power sways in the direction of management again. Is this new mandate being broadly implemented across the bank or are only some divisions being held to the four day a week in office standard?

Story by Jessica Coacc

Rather than trimming down headcounts by enforcing layoffs, business leaders from across the U.S. told the Federal Reserve Beige Book they’re hoping that upping their in-person requirements will do the job.

The Fed Beige Book report, published eight times a year, summarizes current economic conditions across the 12 Federal Reserve Districts. It is based on interviews with business leaders, economists, and other local contacts for a real-time look at the economy.

The report highlighted that multiple districts this month have “encouraged” attrition with return-to-office mandates.

A separate survey of 849 managers reveals 3 in 10 companies will require employees to work in-office five days a week by the end of the year, driven by corporate shifts and new regulations. Meanwhile, more than half of Fortune 100 desk workers already have workplaces with fully in-office policies, according to new data from real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle.

Just yesterday, tech giant Microsoft said its employees will be required to go back into the office 3 days per week. Though Microsoft has had rounds of letting people go this year, Amy Coleman, Executive Vice President and Chief People Officer, assured employees in a memo yesterday “this update is not about reducing headcount,” and instead is “about working together in a way that enables us to meet our customers’ needs.”

Workers aren’t sold on badging in—but the grass may not be greener on the other side
Almost half of workers say that if their employer no longer allowed them to work from home, they would be unlikely to stay at their job, including about a quarter who say they’d be very unlikely to stay, according to a 2025 poll by Pew Research Center.

But even for the workerks who ditch their jobs in response to more days commuting to the office, the grass might not be greener on the other side of the corporate job market.

Across the white collar job market, employment has looked increasingly frozen for job seekers. Non-degree earners like bartenders and baristas in hospitality jobs are seeing bigger wage growth than office workers right now, as demand for in-person job experiences has surged post-pandemic.

Another nail in the coffin? AI. The Fed’s Beige Book also referenced the technology that is assisting organizations with silently trimming down headcount.

Bosses have previously admitted RTO mandates were to make staff quit, but some workers are ignoring the new rules
Though the Fed’s research was published last week, it’s not the first time CEO’s have admitted RTO mandates were meant to make staff quit.

In 2024, a survey of over 1500 U.S. managers found that a quarter of C-suite executives hoped for some voluntary turnover among workers after implementing a RTO policy—with one in five HR professionals admitting their in-office policy was meant to make staff quit.

But even though bosses are the ones making their staff come back in, they’re the ones who are notably zooming in on in-person meetings themselves. In fact, 93% of CEOs say they don’t go into the office full-time and have instead adopted flexible working patterns.

And despite employers sending out email memos on new mandates, a report from Resume Builder found that 1 in 5 workers are ignoring their new in-person policies too.

https://fortune.com/2025/09/10/bosses-using-return-to-office-mandates-to-trim-down-teams-without-needing-to-announce-layoffs/

What are the justifications for entire orgs like Torretta to be set to NVW? Wtf? Someone’s gotta bring this injustice to light man! This ain’t fair! We all know none of us actually need to be in an office, why did they get an exception?

So what do you do? Move to Dallas or Not ? Its really that simple

I heard a rumor today that a 5 DAY return to the office announcement is coming! Has anyone heard anything about this?

Have to start going into office 4x a week min 6 hours a day starting 1/1/26. Talk about id--tic.

If we’re not opting in do we opt out or just leave it and not sign anything?

Do they even want us to work or not? When I arrive at the office, most of my team members have already logged off, since I’m the only one in the U.S. and the rest are in India. At this point, it feels like they’re just trying to tell us to give up

Oracle’s stock just exploded 40% in one day, the biggest move by any company this size in over 30 years. Why? Because they’re winning massive AI and cloud deals, building the future, and actually innovating. They’re projecting half a trillion in revenue backlog, and Wall Street is rewarding them for results.

Notice what they aren’t doing: forcing employees to waste hours commuting just to swipe a badge and sit in fluorescent-lit cubes. Oracle isn’t obsessed with RTO and control theater, they’re obsessed with delivering value.

Meanwhile, AT&T and other RTO-obsessed dinosaurs are draining morale, bleeding talent, and still struggling to grow. Employees are exhausted, productivity hasn’t improved, and customers don’t care if their rep is in Dallas, Atlanta, or their kitchen. All they care about is service that works.

Let’s be real… badge swipes don’t drive revenue. Results and innovation do. Oracle just proved it to the world. AT&T “leadership” could learn something here stop pretending RTO is about collaboration. It’s about control, and it’s ki-ling this company. Do something innovative instead!

If Oracle can ignite history-making growth without dragging people back into cubes, then what’s AT&T’s excuse?

We all know it’s coming. Anyone got any insight?

John, we’re begging you, end this RTO madness. It’s crushing the very people who keep this company running. The commutes are ki-ling us, the hubs are overcrowded, and nothing has improved. We’re still sitting on Teams calls all day, only now we’re doing it from cubicles instead of home offices.

Morale has never been lower. Great employees are leaving in waves, the kind of people we can’t afford to lose. Customers aren’t happier, productivity isn’t higher, and the only “results” this RTO has delivered are frustration, attrition, and resentment.

We proved remote and hybrid worked. For years we supported customers, hit goals, and kept this company afloat from our homes. The work was getting done, and done well. So why are we being punished now? Why force a failed system on people when a better one already exists?

Please, stop doubling down. End RTO and give employees their dignity back. Let people work where they’re most effective, not where a turnstile says they belong. If you truly care about the future of AT&T, listen to your workforce before there’s no one left to listen.

Following mass layoffs, Microsoft exec insists return to office mandate is "not about reducing headcount"

https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/following-mass-layoffs-microsoft-exec-insists-return-to-office-mandate-is-not-about-reducing-headcount

Do you know anyone who actually followed through on their threats to quit over it? I personally don’t, but I wonder if even a small bump in attrition happened because of it, or if most of us just decided to go along with it.

Its interesting that no one seem to be complaining about the 5 day RTO at Q. I dont know if its because Q has got everyone by their b*lls or people genuinely want to come back for 5 days a week.

Is everyone ok coming back 5 days ?

3 days is understandable. But 5 days. Really ?

CEO WORD V0MITS ABOUT RTO (AT&T)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qq10jrnO2SM&t=6s

This guy's stuff has been posted before, but the comments are pretty funny. Keep signal-boosting this kind of bad press.