I see a lot of people waiting to be ‘ordered’ back to the office. We are all considered professionals - if your VP, AVP, Director, or Supervisor ‘strongly suggests’ or ‘advises’ you to be in the office several days a week, then expect they will use it against you if you aren’t. Waiting for a mandate is juvenile, and shows them who is willing and eager to keep their job and who is isn’t. They don’t want to keep people who have to be forced back into the office.
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"They don’t want to keep people who have to be forced back into the office."
Who in their right mind wants to spend 8 hours a day in a dirty, noisy office doing the SAME job you have been doing for years in the clean, quiet, safe environment of your home? Not to mention the cost of commuting and the stress of driving on the road with id--ts.
And this:
“communicate with your employees exactly what is expected of them.” ...
...is exactly who they are trying to filter out. People who need orders to figure out what to do. They want the hip (likely younger), creative, collaborating crowd who enjoys spending days in shared space sipping lemon water,skinny lattes, and tossing beach balls. Go in to the office the minimum required and you make their decision easier.
This is only about a way to get rid of people. The goal is: layoffs without lawsuits And the method is: musical chairs.
You're the one who hasn't heard what people are saying. Since upper management is on a power trip and eager to show it to the rank and file, of course we'll have to do as told. But is that what is best for the company or your ego ? Us peons have a way to fight back Jack. You think we're going to collaborate (joke of the year) or put in the extra effort or work a minute longer than we have to if you treat us like a garbage heap ?
@1nwt Just forget them and let them go. You try to help them, but they blame the messenger. They are babies arguing about word semantics and pretending they didn't hear it when they clearly have been told, just because they don't want to do as told.
if your superiors-in-title are advising you be at the office more days than not, there is a reason.
Well, I'm happy to say, the conversation between me and my supervisor would continue, and my first questions would be to have him elaborate on the reason. For instance, is there something he thinks I can accomplish in the office I couldn't do from home, or is he going to be dinged if his direct reports don't drive in to work? I'd also directly ask him what consequences there was if I continued to work from home, so long as not driving in wasn't mandated.
I has a good relationship with my supervisor - he was someone I would drink a beer with. If there is this aloof relationship between employee and higher-up, hate to have to say it, the job is already in trouble. A supervisor is answerable for his direct reports, and I always made sure I wasn't someone that caused problem for him. So, if he said he'll be dinged if I don't show up, I'd probably do it, but remembering what comes around goes around. I had many supervisors over the years, and only one was trouble. And I had that one for a year or so.
There was no breakdown in communication as suggested by the original post. There would be plenty of opportunity for a follow-up discussion. I never worked in an environment where something was suggested, and I couldn't say why.
Wow a lot of nastiness here- first, I did not mention approved TW’s - they have agreements which must be rescinded. FTO are supposed to be in the office anyway, but many are not. FOW are still called “office workers”, so if your superiors-in-title are advising you be at the office more days than not, there is a reason. It’s not up to me who gets picked, just sayin’ if you value your job that much you will take the hint - they want to keep the people who are willing to make the effort. I am also FOW, and it is just as inconvenient and costly for me to drive in multiple times per week as it is for many people. Not going for 5, but making an effort.
more att management mind games. not directly communicating with your employees is no way to run a company. no matter how many harvard business classes tell you otherwise.
I too consider it a code of business conduct violation.
The op is just Randall hiding in the back room desperately doing what he can to right the ship , much like the ending of the wizard of ozz
I want to know who the 5 dipshits who voted the OP up are! Asshats
the problem is they are unethical, brainless, and classless so they will eff u before you get to eff them.
on the flip side, you can do everything they want and come in everyday from 7 to 7 and they will still eff u.
You may live in fear but I won’t! I am an approved FT home-based teleworker and if the company doesn’t have the brains and class to OFFICIALLY announce a change in policy but hold it against me, then f--- them! That is in fact a COBC violation in my mind, approving me to WFH, not telling me the policy changed but then laying me off because of it. Talk about unethical!
Oh looky here! An AT&T management troll wants to talk about being professional.
You people don't even know what the word means. Start by acting professional yourself and try to show leadership and clearly communicate with your employees exactly what is expected of them.
You can hate the game and hate the players but complaining that things “should” be one way or the other won’t help.
On the other hand, fact is we all know people who came into work, were valuable to the company and got shown the door anyway.
Take care of yourself, the company won’t do it for you.
Professionals don't expect to be treated like inmates and have their badge swipes counted.
We are not waiting with nervous anticipation to interpret what some upper management slacker really means when they are apparently unable to be clear or are in fact just pushing an idea they like but do not want to be responsible for.
Most of us have real work to do unless of course s---ing up is part of your job description.
Another high up the chain management troll.
The fact is some people have to COMPLETLY REORGANIZE their lives now to make it into the office.
It’s not that easy for all of us.
And some people have disabilities and this impacts them disproportionately (I hope they SUE!) .
So shaddup! And go take a long walk off a short pier, asshat!
What's even more juvenile is using vague language like "suggest" or "advise" when it comes to decisions that don't follow common-sense wisdom, but do affect the livelihoods of thousands of employees.