I Have a Dream… About Work That Actually Works

I have a dream that one day we will be judged not by a badge swipe, not by a line in a presence report, but by the work we actually do.

I have a dream that we stop pretending five days in an office equals productivity, when we’ve already proven that great work happens from anywhere. That we stop forcing people into seats just to be seen, and start trusting them to deliver.

I have a dream that effort, integrity, and contribution matter more than location. That someone doing exceptional work from home is valued more than someone simply occupying a desk.

I have a dream that we end the illusion that RTO creates culture. Because culture isn’t built by commuting, by sitting in traffic, or by joining video calls from a cubicle. Culture is built by trust, respect, and giving people the flexibility to do their best work.

I have a dream that we recognize what’s actually happening. That people are burned out, that morale is down, and that forcing five days in-office isn’t fixing it, it’s causing it.

I have a dream that we stop measuring presence and start measuring performance. That we reward results, not routines.

I have a dream that the best people aren’t pushed out because they want flexibility, and that we stop pretending five-day RTO is normal when most of the world has already moved on.

Because right now, we’re clinging to a model that’s outdated, expensive, and ineffective.

So I have a dream that we move forward. That we embrace hybrid, embrace remote work, and build a company around outcomes, not optics.

Because work isn’t a place.

And the sooner we accept that, the better off everyone will be.

#Culture #EmployeeEngagement #Morale #RemoteWork #WorkLifeBalance

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25 replies (most recent on top)

RTO is largely a job cutting exercise and nothing more. WFH was a success during COVID and could be at any time, it's the person doing the work, not the location. We sell global connectivity yet we do not want to connect employees who are also customers. We all know right now it's a 'do as I say, not as I do'. I'd respect honesty; yet that is not what the top brass offer normally; it's usually smoke and mirrors.

If AT&T wants to reduce its footprint, what better way than making the employee provide their own office? Case closed!

There is really no point for anything done by computer (most office jobs, that don't involve in person) to require an office these days. Laptops are invented for a reason.

@em I swipe in, drop off my laptop connected to LAN around 5AM, then I go home, back to sleep, make breakfast, walk the dog, go to the store, play tennis, and then go back to the office to pick it up around 1PM after logging a solid 8-9 hours. The best part is I’m still getting full credit and no questions asked because my average hours report shows 100%. Productivity is a thing of the past. It’s all about hours on the report now. Nothing else matters.

@e5

Now now...

Be a good boy and get to the office before 8 so you get your badge swipes.

@ch now I play golf and tennis on company time at the new Plano office. I now sit in my cubicle and watch Netflix on my iPad. I now drop off my PC at the office and go back home to do chores, shop, and walk the dog while logging hours and getting the same credit as you without checking my PC at all.

Makes no difference RTO or not. RTO is actually better because now I have cover while my PC logs hours when I’m not even around.

Whelp, see you standing around a hole CWA goon!

Whelp, see you in the office picking up my slack while I leave and chill and get the same credit as you now since hours in seat matters more than results!

@bg Paid troll guy keeps putting up BS RTO posts.

We get it. Work su-ks.

It was better when we could play golf and tennis on company time. It was better when I could sit there and watch Netflix all day at the house.

I liked it when I could just do my daily chores and check on the PC every now and then.

It was cool when I could make my teams meetings in the mornings and then take every afternoon off and sc--w the folks needing support.

I liked walking my dogs every hour. I enjoyed saving money on daycare and watching my kids while I "worked."

I saved a lot of money by selling my house and moving out of state and displacing others in a more affordable area. He-l, we were WFH, and I knew they would eventually bring us back into the office, but you know...maybe it'd be permanent.

But yeah, its the company's fault!

Whelp, see you on the commute!

What is funny is that the paid troll guy is only accomplishing driving up the thread engagement and making this post show up on more search engines when people ask about AT&T. That is how clueless our leadership is. They put this guy up to trying to fake consensus and only succeed in making the company look even worse to the public. McStankenfresh probably still use AOL.

Wow you guys still have cubicles? Count your blessings. Most do not. We work in the IT equivalent of a public men's restroom, and there is a LOT of backsplash.

@av imagine thinking you must be in an office to “actually work” in 2026

I have a dream that people would actually work.

I have a dream that when they say you need to work 8 hours, that they actually get to work ONLY 8.

@ap replying to your own posts in an attempt to create a false consensus is pathetic.

“You dummies bought houses out of town and out of state and are now surprised when things went back to normal.”

#fact

@ah there is no “back to normal” when I worked remote for 10 years before anyone ever even said “COVID”.

Anyway, I’ll play golf, tennis, and pickleball at the new Plano HQ, I’ll continue to drop off my laptop at the office then proceed to leave and shop while logging hours, and I’ll still sign off at 2PM after lunch when I’ve logged my 8 hours for the day. Since I’m now measured by hours in an office rather than productivity, output, or results now, THE PARTY HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN!

@ah No more doing what you want when you want. No more peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

@a8 See you on the next Teams call. I’ll be the guy taking credit for your teams work and saying I did it all solo. Connection Award baby!!!

Love scr*wing you over and pretending we are friends irl. It’s what JTS wanted brutha!

High quality post, OP

“Lol....People come to a "layoff site" and then complain about having a job.”

Best post of April 2026.

@a1 “see you on the commute”
Look for me on said commute, I will be the one giving you the one finger wave. It is may way of letting you know your number one.

RTO is a layoff. Not sure how many times this needs to be explained to you, little man. Clearly you are low IQ based on your low effort copy paste replies. Boo Hoo Hoo… get over it or find a new site to troll. Whelp, see you standing around a hole!

@a6 Lol....People come to a "layoff site" and then complain about having a job.

RTO is not a layoff. It's called doing your job. Be lucky you still have one at AT&T. There's plenty of real layoffs and people that would be happy to have your office job.

Boo hoo hoo. Wah wah wah. Crybabies.

Whelp, see you on the commute!

@a1 Boo hoo hoo to you… you must not be very smart. You come to a platform called “The Layoff” and you don’t find the content to your liking. Guess what, easy solution, don’t come here! Instead go to LinkedIn or Yammer for your RTO kumbaya.

@a1 You’ve posted the same “boo hoo” on every thread. Copy-paste, zero thought, zero argument… and you’re calling other people lazy?

And “see you on the commute”? What, you planning to wave at strangers on the highway? You’re a lazy CWA hole stander who’s out of material. No wonder you’ll all be fired without severance soon. You’re brain dead, little man! 🤏🏽

Valiant effort. This is a high quality post that deserves praise

I too had a dream... that my pancreatic cancer was cured... but then I woke up.

Thread regarding AT&T layoffs

I Have a Dream… About Work That Actually Works

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