Curious what people’s opinions are with the new 4 day mandatory in office policy update. I get that it makes sense since it’s an office supplies company but there are plenty of teams that don’t even do 3 days now. Is this a ploy to avoid layoffs in hopes that enough employees quit to make up the deficit?
22 replies (most recent on top)
@1t3 Be careful what you wish! do you really want some of those leaders in the office 24/7
Just another way to layoff people. If they quit and they don’t rehire, it’s a company win! Great job bi--h!
Wish I left a year ago. I’ve interviewed 5+ times and been told multiple times that I am overqualified with the experience I have. I’m stuck as is many others. For now, we need to get through the holidays because effective Jan 5, all of Corp is 4x a week. Complete bullsh-t
I used to work longer days and go the extra mile. Since this announcement, I am doing the bare minimum and many of my coworkers are doing the same. Merry Christmas, or should, I say Happy Holidays Staples.
@1t3 it because they’re paying through the nose on a long term lease for that white elephant, and having spent a fortune on an exorbitant upgraded security system that includes license plate readers and facial recognition, they haven’t documented enough employee data to justify its existence. God forbid a disgruntled current or former employee engages in sabotage and they don”t have their information in the system in order to identify them. This company is a joke.
I don't understand why they want us to go into the office. I get better numbers at home. When we go into the office it's all Nerf g-ns and break room parties. Every 30 minutes they're pulling us away to do some stupid game. Just let me stay at home where I can hit my numbers, make my calls, and not keep getting pulled away every 5 seconds because someone's cat is having babies. Facepalm
People are so entitled. Grow up…..things are cyclical. The same way employees ruled the market after COVID getting everything they wanted and job jumping for the next $ every 6 months. If you didn’t think this would eventually happen then you’re ignorant of the world around you. And you can leave, nobody stopping you…..good people still getting jobs!
@zb better collaboration in the cafeteria or hidden in a conference room all day!
@ds bet your glad all companies don’t feel this way or Staples can fire 90 percent of their people as there would be no office buildings to ship stuff too.
One of the potential upsides of the 4 day RTO policy is that it will provide better support for cross functional work.
I hope that HR and senior leadership look at this site sometimes. I am so disappointed by the decision to go to four days. I would leave if I could. And people will leave when the market gets better. Shame on Staples for taking advantage of a weak job market by making conditions more challenging for current employees.
It said they expect full days so Big Brother will be watching to make sure no one leaves right after lunch. Hopefully managers don't enforce and leaving after lunch or early is a common occurence.
Wee wah now there will be accountability four days a week. Hope this applies to CL and is that working a full 8 hours a day?
Let's make Friday official day off, we don't have to pretend that we're working.
The reasoning is flawed. Work has evolved (for all you “I used to have to go in five days and I was fine” people) and there really is just no good reason to be in person. I’m on Teams calls with folks across the country all day. I don’t need another day to collaborate.
My compromise would be everyone in the office Monday through Thursday and then off on Friday! That would make Staples cutting edge, but we all know Staples would NEVER be cutting edge. At the very least Fridays could be for emails to deal with any emergencies. I literally never have any though in my world on a Friday.
The irony of a mandatory 4 day RTO to collaborate more effectively in person along with the opening and continued staffing of a critical IT organization on the other side of the world are diametrically opposed philosophies. How can you say we need to be more present in person but staff a whole other critical organization in another time zone and another country. Someone please explain.
For people with school age kids this is gonna be rough Most public schools after school programs don’t allow you to add a day mid year
And it’s just a d-mb policy since no one goes to conference rooms even if you book one!
So does this pertain to all of Staples and HiTouch employees across the U.S. or is this just Corporate only? I know there are several employees that work remote full-time and are not anywhere near an office to work out of. So wonder how it will affect those individuals
4 days is completely unnecessary. People will 100% leave the company over this. Many took into account the lower pay scale Staples has, to offset the hybrid work life balance.
Overall seems like was strategically done, this is around layoff season, and if you leave by January you won’t get your bonus or merit. Huge shocker to everyone across the company. Not a great move and many teams will be very hurt when they become short staffed
I was hired to the home office 16 years ago as 3 in office 2 remote. This is frustrating. It's a life changer. One day doesn't seem like alot in theory, but it's a lost lunch break of running errands (think of what you can get done in your town in an hour while the kids are at school) and 2 hours of commute... that's 3 hours of home life lost. 90 miles a week of wear and tear on the vehicle and gas.
Ridiculous especially considering precovid I was 3 days a week so now it is worse than that. Should be department discretion based on need. I have nowhere else to go, but I know people who are looking hard now.