Thread regarding 3M layoffs

Only a Week to Go

The RTO mandate begins next week. I honestly thought I would be seeing more anger about it on here as the time got closer, but instead, the discussion about it has just kind of dried up. Has everyone just kind of quietly given up and accepted it? Or is nobody talking about it because people are just planning to ignore it? Curious to hear people's thoughts now that it's almost here.


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| 4670 views | | 28 replies (last September 3) | Reply
Post ID: @OP+1k3mt1532

28 replies (most recent on top)

@xk I heard 80% in office but I haven’t seen anything in writing yet.

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Post ID: @19c+1k3mt1532

@j1

"Evolved" back to the late 1980s? That's a funny way to look at it.

Are you going to evolve past on-line bill pay and go back to physical checks in the mail?

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Post ID: @17c+1k3mt1532

Where’s the donuts?🍩

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Post ID: @16q+1k3mt1532

We tried to be nice by getting you guys a puppy to entice you back to the office when that didnt work it was time to force our hand

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Post ID: @16p+1k3mt1532

@12y BB likely has some megamillion dollar incentives to break up the company into 4 or 5 pieces. Then he can retire to his luxury yacht in Florida for life knowing "mission accomplished" in putting quietly to sleep this once great American icon.

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Post ID: @138+1k3mt1532

They’ll probably see how RTO impacts retirement and resignations, then do their typical holiday layoffs announcement with no scope or timetable given, and let that dangle to see if it gets more people to leave on their own. After that, probably time to break it up. Then BB retirement

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Post ID: @12y+1k3mt1532

@qe what % ? Any indication?

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Post ID: @xk+1k3mt1532

@j1 Those of us who are currently WFH want to work hard and win too. If you've ever worked in an office, you'll know that they aren't exactly conducive to getting work done. That's one reason (of many) why we would prefer to stay WFH. We've been working very hard from home for the past five years (and longer, in some cases), and 3M has been reaping the benefit. There's no reason to disrupt that.

Brown knows he can't win on a productivity argument for RTO, which is why all the messaging around this has explicitly stated that it's not about productivity. He knows they're going to take a hit on productivity, and is basically saying he doesn't care. That's part of the evidence that they are just using this to try to get rid of people.

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Post ID: @wn+1k3mt1532

@gx There’s nowhere “just north of the 50-mile ring” even remotely close enough to Lake Superior to see it. What state are you trolling from?

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Post ID: @s8+1k3mt1532

The increase in electricity, water, and trash costs at the quad will be deducted from paychecks prorated by scan ins and scan outs.

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Post ID: @s7+1k3mt1532

@gd My manager has informed me that if we don’t spend X% in the office, tracked by badge swipes, we are breaking company policy and will be fired. I totally agree that this is a tactic to get rid of people without severance because it is not thought out or planned well, leading to no assigned desk for a year and no guarantee of working desks. I’m sure we will see ergo concerns too.

This RTO makes no sense for some roles and some groups but BB applied the rule to everyone local, while basically telling all remote people that they are stuck in their jobs forever, if they stay at 3M.

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Post ID: @qe+1k3mt1532

what conf rm is the pizza

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Post ID: @p0+1k3mt1532

@hm being anonymous on the internet sure does make it easy to be a brave little a--hole. Doesn't it? Grown ups are trying to have a mature conversation here, so feel free to keep your emotional baggage to yourself.

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Post ID: @me+1k3mt1532

@bt : "or it was all to get people to retire or quit without the costs associated with layoffs."

I thought that was just accepted as a given. It's the only way a lot of this makes any sense.

As a non-American employee, the condition of the 3M Centre doesn't really affect me. They sold our office space when WYW was supposed to be permanent, so the small location they're cramming us into isn't great. There are no assigned desks, and our "food options" consist of a couple vending machines and a coffee maker. (They actually suggested we could order from food delivery apps!) And they said it will probably be noisy, so we should plan on wearing headphones the whole time--but we're supposedly there for the collaboration, hah! And I don't even work with people in my own country, so the whole collaboration thing is nonsense anyway.

@ce : "Free pizza soon!"

Not sure if this is a joke, or just an American thing, but I don't recall 3M ever giving us pizza. Maybe biscuits and cupcakes a couple times.

@h6 : "I was hired remote. So glad I don’t have to go in, but was told I don’t have any more career opportunities unless I move to MN. Kicking myself for taking this job. It was a complete bait and switch."

Sorry to hear this happened to you. Over here, if you were hired as a remote employee, and then the company changed your work location, that could be considered constructive dismissal. But I don't know if the labour laws in America are the same.

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Post ID: @kb+1k3mt1532

@j1 Go Big Bill!!!
We are gonna change the world again!!!
By ding, we will put 3M back on the map for more than the most expensive lawsuits ever.
R and D!!!
R and D!!!
We will Win In R and D!!!
G-o-o-o-o-o Big BILL!!!!!!!!

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Post ID: @j8+1k3mt1532

@hm couldn’t agree more. This thread is ridiculous. The business world around 3M has evolved and gotten back at it. Yet, some people at 3M still want to sit and gripe about it. Reinforces the change that needs to continue happening at 3M. For those not wanting to be part of the change, maybe you should leave. The rest of us want to work hard and win.

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Post ID: @j1+1k3mt1532

@hm

I didn't say one way or the other what I would be doing. I just wanted a discussion around how my fellow remote workers were feeling about the RTO now that it's almost upon us.

Interesting though that the self-proclaimed "grown up" is the first one in the thread to resort to childish name-calling.

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Post ID: @j0+1k3mt1532

@OP the grown ups are getting on with it , you have a contract and are paid to do as the company asks so I would turn up and start acting like an adult not an entitled cry baby

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Post ID: @hm+1k3mt1532

Will there be a gluten free option for the free pizza?

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Post ID: @he+1k3mt1532

I don't know about anyone else, but I always got less done when I was in the office vs when I was working at home.

There are so many more opportunities to get distracted in the office by personal conversations, whether while getting another cup of coffee or during meetings or while working at your desk. Also there's more time squandered on time wasters like going to the cafe, visiting the company store, stopping by the gym, walking or driving to yet another meeting, etc. Plus more wasted time looking for an available private space if you needed to make a call about a sensitive matter like something medical or financial. And that doesn't even include the time wasted getting ready every day and during your commute. At home there were far fewer distractions.

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Post ID: @h9+1k3mt1532

I was hired remote. So glad I don’t have to go in, but was told I don’t have any more career opportunities unless I move to MN. Kicking myself for taking this job. It was a complete bait and switch.

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Post ID: @h6+1k3mt1532

Moved North just out of the 50-mile ring. Less pay? So what! And the best part? Quiet quitting in the comfort of my new home with a view of Lake Superior! Loving every minute of it!

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Post ID: @gx+1k3mt1532

No chance it’s about productivity. Research is pretty definitive that 4/5 days in office is the least productive with ~3 days being optimal, and higher satiation for hybrid / remote workers.

I heard they’ll be tracking and it’ll be part of your EPR. So if you don’t go in, you’ll get paid less. Absolutely a way to save money by people quitting or hitting them with lower wages.

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Post ID: @gd+1k3mt1532

@cj I think the Center repair work will grind to a halt once BB hears how much has been spent and how much more will need to be spent. He values buying back shares more than anything else. This RTO is mainly focused on getting people to retire or quit without getting a severance. It's much easier to blow 2 hours a day eating popcorn, taking long lunch breaks, and playing games on the cellphone. Quiet quitting is about to be ramped up. Sorry BB but your move will be countered with even less productivity. Laughing all the way to the bank.

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Post ID: @d0+1k3mt1532

@bt
I agree, it's nice to finally see them repair some of the decaying campus (plenty more to go). Just not sure why they waited until everyone was coming back to redo all the roads...good luck figuring out which ones aren't closed.

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Post ID: @cj+1k3mt1532

Free pizza soon!

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Post ID: @ce+1k3mt1532

@bt it's pretty obvious that it's just designed to push people to retire or quit.

But because it's going to be such a sh-t show I don't expect it to stick. We don't have enough desks for everyone, do how are they going to enforce it?

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Post ID: @c8+1k3mt1532

Honestly, I’m looking forward to it, but only if they are serious. That means getting people assigned desks and equipment that works, having adequate parking, working bathrooms and reasonable food options and so forth. Without that, the culture will su-k and the company will basically be admitting that they either can’t execute, or it was all to get people to retire or quit without the costs associated with layoffs. I truly hope it is executed well and in good faith, but I lost trust a long time ago.

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Post ID: @bt+1k3mt1532

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