So…. Thoughts on the RTO expectations that shake out to 3/4 times per week? In case you didn’t see: 14 days per month. 4 days have to be M or F.
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4 days a week in office was becoming a corporate norm in 2019, BEFORE covid. This announcement completely wipes away all flexibility gained from the past six years.
I suggest:
1) communicating ad nauseum that commute times WILL directly impact your hours worked each day and we will NOT make up the hours on our own time because flexibility goes both ways.
2) do we bo-b every single question on this year's OHS? Yep, every one because they're going to structure the questionnaire in a way where topically, this shouldn't affect the overall score.
company morale is at an all-time low. layoffs each quarter. consistently missing targets. and this is what they want to spend their time on.
they cannot enforce this, they would need to fire half the company for not adhering. like another reply said, delete the email and move on.
I find the Monday and Friday requirement funny because there isn’t enough room for people to be in all on the same day…which is the point of the in-office collaboration. We need more space in Purchase to fulfill this requirement. I think it’s ridiculous to go in 3-4 days a week but not have a dedicated desk. Companies much smaller in higher commercial rent zip codes give people their own desk at least
@a5 100% on the tracking via connectivity to office wifi. What they didn't explain is what happens if you miss the 14 day a month mandate. My prior company laid out in detail what the ramifications were if you didn't adhere to the rule. This plan was so poorly executed. There wasn't even HR leadership signature on it.
Just delete that email. Problem solved. They have things to solve than this.
I love their ending:
“Please raise questions with your manager”
Bro, I’m the manager and I found out the same way you did.
How about you just email Becky Schmitt who leads HR. Maybe she forgot to email rollout plan to all of the leadership team before this communication. I am sure the had that planned out. Just stuck in her draft box.
Accountability starts at the top. Indra may have been a demanding tyrant, but she held high level leadership accountable for incompetence like this.
Shocking how we were the most productive when everyone worked from home but as RTO started, we began to decline. And so many good leaders have already left. Every week I get farewell emails from good people who are leaving this company.
But I am sure Athina will save us!
L10 S&T- NY based, normally come in 2 to 3 times a week.
I think this is horrible. Especially with the NY HQ being located in an inconvenient spot where many colleagues will regularly face daily 2.5+ hour round trip commutes. Also maybe take into account that many of our colleagues you’d like us to “collaborate with in-person” are based offshore.
I have 4 teammates based in NY, and we all have one weekly two-hour in-person session together, and this works perfectly, we are able to have a flexible and effective system
Yet another example of RL, AK, and RK trying to point fingers as to why the NA 2026 target performance metrics haven’t been met. If they want employees to come in four times a week, invest in us with legit career development programs, live trainings, etc. the cost of living in the NY market is too high to deal with Ramon’s current immature antics and not see a return on career investment.
The only way for this to realistically work: sell the current Purchase HQ, go back to the old model of multiple westchester offices and add in two to three NYC offices.
@a2 agree the timing of this announcement is tone deaf and another example of bad leadership that is driving the company into the ground
They only track badges ins with security and HR only gets reports if they a situation with an employee, like a PIP.
I would have no problem with a weekly report to hold everyone to the same standard. I come in most days (NY office) and I seldom see cross functional in the office. This is expect true for HR and Comms. Never there in person, maybe once a month, but no one holds them accountable to their own policies.
People have their opinions about remote work… but it does truly su-k to commute 1 hr+ 4x per week to sit on Teams calls of work with headphone in all day.
I think many still worry about office capacity, parking, meeting spaces, etc. Curious to see if/how this will be tracked and if this will provoke people to adhere to these “expectations” for a few months until the holidays, then people resume only going in 1-2 times per week. I have heard the tracking is via connectivity to office wifi, not badge swipes.
No one comes in to the office her in NY anyways. Then don’t track it and if they do, they don’t hold people accountable unless you are lower level. So many LG2s and above just don’t show up. They are only going to “track” or use this against you if they are trying to get rid of you.
But hey, 👋 m sure this is going to make people work harder whey they not have to commute an hour to work each way because NY is so bloody expensive. Here’s to extended lunches, napping in the talk rooms acting busy and only responding to emails of higher ups. It’s like I am joining HR!
@OP This is a concrete example of how inconsiderate this organization is. Obviously it’s at their discretion how many days in the office they want employees to work - but to send out a broadcast message one day before a major holiday weekend - which also coincides with many localities back to school - is thoughtless. There are parents who need to arrange day care, people taking care of elders, and many other things. It just gets “better” every day around here. This place has to be among the most poorly managed major corporations in the world.
@OP what Genius thought this up? And how are you and youranager supposed to track this? How does it work with sick days or how does it work with a vacation? This just just going to edge more people out - love to see the OHS scores after this.....