Leaders say there is flexibility in the RTO mandate -but nothing has been defined. What would be considered “flexible” to allow to telecommute for a day? Such as - home repair, small child home because school is closed, doctor appointment and doesn’t make sense to come back to office after due to distance, etc.
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'Why not implement 2 "flex days" a month'
Because that would be using logic and be a thoughtful thing to do for employees. How are they going to drive people out if they do something like that?
All of these unwritten rules and unevenly applied accommodations... Why not implement 2 "flex days" a month to work from wherever instead of having to come up with a reason and hoping the boss is in a good mood when you call about your leaky roof.
PTO, sick time, family care time, vacation.
“Such as - home repair, small child home because school is closed, doctor appointment.
These were never meant to be WFH conditions. "
So either you worked for a je-k, or were the je-k. From the time I started working for AT&T, WFH for those things was always fine.
However, with that flexibility being gone, if you read the sick time policy, you can use sick time for doctor's appointments, and caregiver PTO for kids doctors appointments. so use them.
I used to make sure to get the first doctors appointment available in the morning so I could get to work after. No more. A 15 minute doctors appointment now means a full day of sick time. Sick time is valid for "mental health" as well, which means if you "just aren't feeling it" one day, call off sick. Don't take enough to "be a problem", but use it. I would even say that if your parents (or kids) live far away, if you want to take a long weekend to visit, use Caregiver PTO. As long as there's not a pattern and its relatively short, they aren't going to ask for documentation.
They have said that they are watching for patterns. So if you WFH once or twice a quarter, you should be fine.
But use the "benefits" they give you. Quit giving extra to the company that doesn't appreciate it.
Sick child is caregiver day. Child out on school break is PTO. Weather is wfh day, appt in evening is office am wfh pm. Appt at home is lunch hour or PTO day. Covid bit well enough to work is wfh.
I'm retired now, but had a long career at several large corporations. One of my personal warning signs of when a corporation is losing its edge and ability to innovate and create exciting products is when it becomes more important for workers to "manage" their careers (taking all kinds of required training, doing and saying the right things for performance ratings) than to actually do productive work that matters. As in matters to customers and keeping the business growing and thriving. While some of this "fluff" might be necessary for legal reasons, it still eats up resources and can slowly erode the passion in an employees's soul. With RTO, AT&T has taken this to a new level. Not only do employees have to put up with the other fluff, but now managing RTO has taken up a life of its own. Seemingly, RTO metrics and RTO concerns (reporting, tracking, etc) have taken center stage, instead of doing what matters to the customers and keeping the business running. How much longer can AT&T go on like this? To some degree, I am conjecturing as left voluntarily in April. I had enough of the nonsense. I hope that I am wrong and things aren't as bad as I keep hearing from friends and former coworkers. I wish everyone the best going forward.
I always take PTO for doctors appointment.
We have been told absolutely no WFH. 5 day RTO or basically be fired. PTO or sick time, you can't work from home if you are sick either. Have to take sick time.
My group has been very good with flexibility as long as it's documented.
“So that means none from me either. 8 and skate.”
This is more than most were putting in before, so this is a win.
No flexibility at all.
So that means none from me either. 8 and skate
“Such as - home repair, small child home because school is closed, doctor appointment”
These were never meant to be WFH conditions. These are in line with use of PTO. You need to focus on the “W” when thinking of WFH and RTW.
Since C suites are working on a private jet, non-jet owners can work from home.
Of course there’s flexibility to WFH when legit reasons surface - just like pre- COVID.
Don’t listen to these fr1gg1n numb nu*s.
T's culture is zero flexibility hence leadership's favorite phrase "if you don't like it leave"
It is intentionally vague. They want to keep you on edge.
There is no WFH and any flexibility is extremely limited. That is because they are measuring us right now with the intent terminate as many as they can. If you flagged at a certain (not sure the number) percent non-compliant, then you get warned. If you continue to be non-compliant, you get written up. Do it again and you get terminated. Allowing flexible working would sc--w up their metrics and the ultimate plan to fire you.
I haven’t seen any flexibility at all. If I need to be home for some reason my boss makes us take a vacation or sick day. There is 0 wfh anymore during normal hours, but they still expect us to do extra at home for free. I think not. 8 and it can wait.
Be flexible in taking pto, illness, caregiver etc
Ask your supervisor.