#rto

VBG specifically has been hosting VP/AVP level all hands calls where the leader will say “we expect you to be in full days. Talk to your manager if you need an exception”, yet Sam’s video and the VLC letter say “3 days with flexibility”, no mention of what flexibility’s definition is. Can this be enforced if it’s not in writing?

I am just going to leave this here:

Verizon

• Requirement: 3 days per week for hybrid management and corporate staff
• Effective date: Day after Labor Day 2025
• Reported date: Jul 29, 2025

Rogers Communications

• Requirement: Phase 1 4 days, then 5 days for corporate staff
• Effective date: Oct 1, 2025 then Feb 1, 2026
• Reported date: Jul 28, 2025

Tata Consultancy Services

• Requirement: 5 days per week in office for US employees, immediate
• Effective date: Immediate
• Reported date: Jul 23, 2025

TD Bank

• Requirement: 4 days per week
• Effective date: Execs Oct 6, 2025, others Nov 3, 2025
• Reported date: Jul 23, 2025

Sherwin-Williams

• Requirement: 5 days per week in US and Canada
• Effective date: Jan 1, 2026
• Reported date: Jul 17, 2025

Starbucks

• Requirement: 4 days per week for corporate employees
• Effective date: Sep 29, 2025
• Reported date: Jul 14, 2025

Target

• Requirement: 3 days per week for most HQ roles
• Effective date: Sep 2, 2025
• Reported date: Jul 11, 2025

3M

• Requirement: 4 days per week for most US non production staff
• Effective date: Sep 2, 2025
• Reported date: Jul 9, 2025

HSBC

• Requirement: Managing directors 4 days per week
• Effective date: Oct 2025
• Reported date: Jun 29, 2025

BMO

• Requirement: 4 days per week
• Effective date: Sep 15, 2025
• Reported date: Jun 26, 2025

Ford

• Requirement: 4 days per week for most global salaried staff
• Effective date: Sep 1, 2025
• Reported date: Jun 25, 2025

ING

• Requirement: At least 2 days per week, one of Mon or Wed or Fri
• Effective date: Active as of Jun 2025
• Reported date: Jun 25, 2025

UnitedHealth Group

• Requirement: 4 days per week for hybrid staff in MN and DC
• Effective date: Jul 7, 2025
• Reported date: Jun 25, 2025

Amazon

• Requirement: Relocate to hubs or exit, tied to stricter in office push
• Effective date: Rolling from Jun 2025
• Reported date: Jun 18 to Jun 20, 2025

RBC

• Requirement: 4 days per week
• Effective date: Sep 2025
• Reported date: May 29, 2025

BlackRock

• Requirement: Managing directors full time in office
• Effective date: 2025 rollout
• Reported date: May 8, 2025

BNY Mellon

• Requirement: 4 days per week for most employees
• Effective date: Sep 2, 2025
• Reported date: May 1, 2025

Uber

• Requirement: 3 days per week for all employees
• Effective date: Jun 1, 2025
• Reported date: Apr 29, 2025

Thermo Fisher Scientific

• Requirement: 4 days per week company wide
• Effective date: 2025
• Reported date: Apr 30, 2025

Honda USA

• Requirement: At least 80 percent in office
• Effective date: Oct 6, 2025
• Reported date: Apr 25, 2025

IBM

• Requirement: US sales and US cloud teams at client site, flagship office or hub at least 3 days per week
• Effective date: 2025
• Reported date: Apr 2025

Intel

• Requirement: 4 days per week in office
• Effective date: Sep 2025
• Reported date: Apr 24 to Apr 25, 2025

Google

• Requirement: Hybrid 3 days per week enforced, team level strictness or exit
• Effective date: 2025 update to 2022 policy
• Reported date: Apr 23 to Apr 24, 2025

Caterpillar

• Requirement: 5 days per week for US office staff
• Effective date: Jun 2, 2025
• Reported date: Apr 10, 2025

Qualcomm

• Requirement: 5 days per week for corporate employees
• Effective date: 2025 after Feb internal meeting
• Reported date: Feb 20, 2025

Gap Inc.

• Requirement: 5 days per week for corporate staff near offices
• Effective date: Sep 1, 2025
• Reported date: Feb 9, 2025

Dell Technologies

• Requirement: 5 days per week for employees within about 1 hour of an office
• Effective date: Mar 3, 2025
• Reported date: Jan 31, 2025

Home Depot

• Requirement: 5 days per week for employees within 50 miles of Atlanta HQ
• Effective date: Jun 2, 2025
• Reported date: Jan 10, 2025

Rogers Communications announced a new return-to-office (RTO) policy that will ultimately require all corporate employees to be in the office five days a week. The policy was issued on July 28, 2025 and will be phased in: starting October 1, 2025, employees must work four days per week in the office, and from February 1, 2026, the requirement rises to five days per week. Rogers, which employs about 24,000 people, said the phased rollout is meant to give workers and families time to adjust.

The update comes just two months after layoffs in May 2025, when the company cut roughly 2 percent of its workforce (around 2,000 jobs). While not officially tied, many recent RTO mandates across industries have been announced near the time of workforce reductions.

Compared to Canadian peers, Rogers’ new policy is among the strictest. RBC, Scotiabank, BMO, and TD Bank will require four days per week in-office later in 2025, while many other employers still follow three-day or hybrid models. Only a few large companies, such as CIBC and Brookfield Corporation, currently enforce five-day office mandates.

Source:

• https://buildremote.co/return-to-office/rogers/

Here are some companies that go through RTO right now. Almost all of htem have RTO thereads here on layoffs.com:

Microsoft, Amazon, UnitedHealth Group, JPMorgan Chase, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Humana, Accenture, International Business Machines, Charles Schwab, CDW, Medtronic, PepsiCo, Best Buy, CVS Health, State Street, Target, American Electric Power, Dell, Emerson Electric, Cisco Systems, Intel, Abbott Laboratories, Anthem, American International Group (AIG), Bank of New York Mellon, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, U.S. Bancorp, Truist, Verizon Communications, Starbucks, Nike, Fiserv, Fidelity National Information Services (FIS), TransUnion, Illumina, AMN Healthcare Services, Cenovus Energy, SeaWorld Entertainment, Zoom Communications

Careful with how much time you are spending in the office.. They are watching and firing people who arent in the office "enough time". Keep in mind there is NO policy which outlines time in office but they will still fire you!

And it’s only going to get worse. Anything management can do to make it more miserable, more difficult to comply with, more absurd or outright humiliating, they’ll do it. Because no matter what they’ve claimed, the real goal of RTO has always been the same - to make you quit. Pure, distilled attrition.

I'm a manager in Manchester and I have just been told today that despite what the in office scorecard for flex employees is telling my team, they must start doing 4 days a week from 1st September (despite one week to go of the 4 week period). Seems pedantic and fussy to me.

Anyone else been told this? Not sure how will enforced.

Hey you guys, I received a call today that I will have to start working from the office again “soon” and I work in Risk. Has anyone else received such notice recently?

We all know this is the hot button issue right now. Management has created a downright demoralizing environment by their refusal to get with the times and allow more remote work. We’re now being told that (against HR policy) we need to be in 11 days a month no matter what. You were sick? Make up the day. On two weeks of vacation time? Make up the two weeks and add a day to the month. That means that even if you’ve gathered weeks of PTO and you want to go on a vacation and use 10 days of PTO you simply can’t because there are 20 working days in a month. I worked at another dinosaur bank just before coming here not long ago and even their RTO policy was less aggressive. I’m not sure why the obsession on being in office - are they just forcing attrition? Why continue to hire new talent if that’s the case as it is in my organization? Guess I need to dust off my resume again. This is getting ridiculous.

I was laid off in December without being given the option to move. My former boss, who also lives outside of a hub location, is still working! Are managers exempt from the location strategy?

So I work in Everett and we are being told 4 days a week will occur for some time now it's fine I get it. I am on a specific client so I am in a certain secluded area, what I do not get is there is now being asked to return on specific days per person. I wasn't in office when asked due to vacation so my slotted days are just being demanded upon me. There is not enough desks where I am now for what we have in terms of my team at 3 days a week and Managers at 4, How are we going to cram Boston people here too. My manager claims they are getting a new section for us or an additional section with seats but like anything here it was false promises. This place is so terribly ran Site wise I am amazed the little ground hog that runs around here has a job still.

As an agency worker I'm fortunate to not have to return to the office. I feel for the full time employees but hey its a perk of being agency.

Isn’t the stated point of return to office that we collaborate with our team in person?

It looks like our team will be divided up across the building. We don’t even sit by each other.

What a great day. I received the call this AM. I heard in my managers voice uncertainty about their own future. What a mess, they have a whole heck of a lot of stuff they need to unwind to get themselves off the firing line. For those who did not want to speak up for me that is OK, I forgive you. I do not feel bad for standing up for myself when I did. Nobody slots me into incorrect alignments and gets away with it. At this point, I appreciate the paid 60 days PTO and severance. I am going to use this as an opportunity to reset my mental health and find a better position for the remainder of my career. Feel free to position these changes as (right-sizing all you want). I have watched for years as you've hired your friends and diversity hires. Thank God those days are over for me. I should have never put up with it in the first place, but with COVID and forced RTO the market contracted making a move a little more elusive than I had hoped. Again! Thank you all very much. This is a weight off my shoulders.

I was just asked, well, told to come in to the office 3 days per week. This is ridiculous as I've been working remotely for years and years. Is anyone else dealing with this too?

Looking forward to see how everyone starts driving to office 4 days a week in traffic and complain about missing little Tommys dance classes. LBT will probably start badge tracking for hours spent as well. I am fully remote so I will continue to WFH

There is not much clarity about agency workers if they are supposed to be RTO or no

For the mandatory 3 days in, people have been working 4 hours in the office and then going home to finish their day. Is this accurate. I don’t see anything that states it’s acceptable per WF.

Anyone else being told they need to make up vacation or sick days to meet the 3 days in office mandate? This is opposite of what the guidelines stated when rolling out the HUB.

I have heard from multiple people that some groups are not having to go into the office four days a week in a month. TSG and some folks in TS are exempt. While this is great for them, what the actual F. This place just wants us gone. I won't say anything at work as I honestly think "good for them" but I'm pi---d for myself.

https://www.rcrwireless.com/20250814/business/att-ceo-memo

Kagan: Thoughts on AT&T CEO memo on loyalty between workers and company

Anyone read this B.S. Article from RCR wireless Jeff... He forgot to mention that AT&T pays it's workers peanuts compared to the Mag-7. Mag-7 may be asking their workers to RTO 3 to 5 days a week because they actually pay a reasonable salary and bonus to their employees compared to what AT&T pays. At AT&T, employees are literally sitting on the floor or on stairway steps in the office due to decrease in office space.
The author of this article needs a reality check and not comparing Apples to Apples but Apples to Garbage.

RTO- it’s a thing…… I hadn’t heard it until today’s Insurance call.

We are in for another round of layoffs for August.
The company has been slowing spreading them out so they don’t have to legally inform shareholder and follow the WARN act.
They are also making a mandatory Return to Office FULL TIME for 5 days a week. Anyone who doesn’t comply will be fired without severance package.
The next wave I’m also hearing, is those that don’t live near an office will eventually be told they have to relocate to a state/ location where an office is or they will be fired/ let go. It’s a way for them to save more money not having to pay out for severance packages.
With the recent departure of Chris W, it’s only a matter of time the new Customer Experience Officer / Sales Officer Chance replaces every single sales manager with the Street and Fusion leadership.
There are rumors going around that all sales positions will lose benefits and go to 1099 commission only.

You have been warned.

Curious how coffee badging is kept track of when there is no exit badging. Is there additional monitoring going on? Does anyone know how this is kept track of?

This nonsense of listening to leadership tell us why it’s “good for collaboration” - yet THEY live a time zone away…..? I’m all for it - if they move to Columbus and come to the office with us.

And - can someone please them how to say Gahanna?

10% of IT FTE laid off
Massive release of Director and Sr Manager level. Some Manager level
Bubble employees released ( on the verge of a PIP or not meeting position standards)
RTO Violaters
Some remote employees who were asked to move to a campus. Other remotes have been put on notice to move to a campus or leave

Jeff will announce at his Thursday all hands - no more remote and 5 days in the office. Also his ideal IT consist of 60% software developers and 40% support ( POs, leaders, etc)

Next up - business side Care and Retail under Frier will lay off in the next couple weeks.

If the RTO 3 Hunger games were not enough to pi-s off people lets introduce RTO 3.1 Hunger Games and remove about 1500 seats and close off Rotunda Center and see what happens on Monday Morning. GREAT MOVE FORD.

Haven’t heard much about layoffs.

Everything revolving around the 4 days RTO.

Usually, there are confirmed rumors but right now there is a lot of silence. Not sure if company expecting people to quit and then see where to make cuts.

Like everything else, I’m expecting the leadership team to fail even when it comes to layoffs.

Unpopular opinion, I know but it is the truth. ElCrazio, Gumbo and the loser "executive" squad are looking for targets. Do not become one. News is that other goals do not matter and doing extraordinary work will not save one from termination if they do not meet the RTO goal.

Mark my word. The 5 day mandatory bs isn't working and Tell Dell clearly stated that. The building I report to has it's share of people in there but by 11-11:30am, the place empties out and is a ghost town lol.

A lot of teams in the building I report to, are global and/or country wide so, 99% of people even in the office are alone anyways so, what's the incentive or point in staying if NOBODY on your actual team is even there lol? How can you collaborate with those who live in other states, or countries, in person? Oh right, by TEAMS meetings. Meetings that can be done... at home!

I'd be willing to bet that between 75-90% of people "coffee badge" - meaning they go to the office, grab some coffee and/or food, maybe take a dump and then go straight back home.

Are any of you not coming in because it will disrupt your second job? I have Webex calls with my other job during the week that I can’t do in the office. Is there any advice for how to get around this? If I have to come in I am considering booking space away from others and hotspotting to my phone while I take the calls.

Heard last week that office was so packed people were sitting on filing cabinets to RTO

LL5 and higher are staying in office and engaged in office all day. However, LL6s are closest leadership level that influences GSR staff. LL6s prefer to stay home and do not like RTO, so they come to office for badge swipes, attend a selected meeting for visibility and then go home. To rationalize their desire to stay home, they coach staff to ensure 3 badge swipes per week for RTO; and communicate that it is OK to go home after badge swipes. LL6 people leaders do not even see need for in-person conversations with staff. Senior Leaders want RTO to improve "How to work" and collaborate for "Horizontal Interaction" ; but intent is getting distorted at LL6 level. LL6 level seem to be disconnected in overall big picture, and end up reacting to Manager assignments, when the issues go to Manager level. Instead of providing "Bridge" role hoizontally, they live in "silos" managing vertically within assigned chimney. Culture seem to reward heroes who put out "Fires" in the Chimney, which these heroes could have avoided. As an outcome, LL6 rank is filled with "Firefighters".

How embarrassing. Back in 2022-2024, we called out other companies requiring everyone back in the office. Especially cringeworthy - “AT&T follows Amazon in cracking down on remote work with 5 days in office mandate”. And now look at us.

Samsung has been making cuts left and right. RTO is just another way to push people out, either make them quit on their own or create an excuse to let them go. Either way, it’s a win for them. A cheap, quiet way to reduce the workforce.

It’s by design. More control, less communication, insane workloads, unrealistic expectations, and requirements few can actually meet. And it will escalate. Because RTO isn’t here to make Ford a leading company. It’s not here to retain talent, boost efficiency, or foster collaboration toward some grand vision. It’s here to make you quit, so they can get rid of you on the cheap.

Returning to office life just feels like a huge step backward. The noise, the constant interruptions, the long commute just to sit in a chair for eight hours under bad lighting trying not talk to anybody. I get more done at home in less time and without the headache.

https://share.google/dSOtmjb6ZVCG7XHaE

I got the second email about RTO. Although I have been to the office 14 days in July, the email says “you have not improved your on-site presence”. Then it threatens me that I will be subject to discipline up to termination.

It is really upsetting to get an email like that after I tried so hard to go to the office the whole month. The only week I was not there for three days a week was due to sickness. And my average per week in July is 2.8 days!

What kind of je-k company send emails like that to employees working hard getting extra things done and managing two hours’ commute every day?! What do they expect?!